Habit

One to acquire is that of not becoming accustomed to anything

December 7th 2016
People see and hear so many things that most of them end up becoming swamped and indifferent. They feel they have nothing left to learn – they allow their attention to skim over things without resting anywhere, and nothing makes an impression on them any longer. They think, ‘I have seen this, I have heard that, and that, and that too.’ So they look without seeing, they listen without hearing. That’s habit for you. But nothing can be more pernicious than letting yourself be ruled by habit – it deadens you. Actually, the only habit to adopt is that of not becoming accustomed to anything, and of always looking at ideas, beings or objects in a new way, with a fresh eye. Observe them, study them as if you were encountering them for the first time – then you will discover connections between them, and something of the life of the universe will reveal itself to you. From time to time, also try to breathe and eat as if for the first time.