A fourth fundamental is to appreciate the big part played in man's
control by his own personal instincts and habits. "Man is a reasoning
creature. God's image." Yes; but he is also the willing slave of
instinctive impulses and personal habits. He uses his reason to
determine the course he will pursue, not to regulate the multitudinous
details of his actions in carrying it on. As planned by nature, these
minor actions are directed by natural impulses and personal habits.
Impulses and habits--they rule almost our every act. It is remarkable
when we stop to think of it and realize how few things we do actually
as the result of thinking. Thus in a well-ordered life a man may get up
in the morning, bathe, shave, dress, and go to breakfast without having
to make a conscious decision. Instead of having to decide which shoe to
put on first, he even laces and ties his shoes without thinking, and
thus may occupy his mind with thoughts of the day's work. Habit guides
him without thought through all these necessary steps which he must
take daily.
The interesting fact to the leader is not alone that these habits
control so absolutely, but that any habit may be easily and
unconsciously formed by repetition of the act or thought, and that a
habit once formed is overcome only by conscious effort and even by
determined action of the will. The leader uses this for controlling
his men. By insisting on certain things always being done in certain
ways, he establishes in them habits of daily conduct which make his
routine administration of duties free from constant care of details.
A wise leader finds the reason for many of the difficulties and
seeming derelictions of his men in the fact that they were the acts
of previously formed habits not yet eliminated. For this reason also
he prefers to train green men rather than old ones. He knows he can
readily inculcate in them the habits he wants them to have, and without
the great difficulty of eradicating the previously formed habits which
he does not like.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account