On Habits-A.G. Gardiner |B.com/BBA/B.Sc/BCA Bangalore university|Additional English
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On Habits
Alfred George Gardiner
Short answer questions
1.What is writer's habit?
The writer was having the habit of writing with his pencil.
2.What is considered a magic wand?
The pencil is considered a magic wand.
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3.What intrudes between the writer and his thoughts?
The pen kept intruding between writer and his thoughts.
4.What did Sir Walter Scott tell to Rogers of his school days?
There was a boy in Scott's class who always stood at the top position in class but had the habit of fumbling with his fingers at a particular button in the lower part of his waistcoat whenever any question was asked to him.Scott being jealous of the boy, removed that button to know how the boy will answer, if he finds out that the button is missing.When the boy was questioned, his fingers automatically sought for the button and was not found.He was in distress and was never able to become topper in the class again.
5.Is there any harm in cultivating habits?
No, there is no harm in cultivating habits, so long as they are not injurious.They actually simplify the mechanism of life.
6.Did the writer solve his problem of hanging his hats?
The writer solved his problem of hanging his hats by hanging them on a certain peg or if that were occupied, he used the vacant peg nearest to it.
7.How should we use our habits?
We should use our habits, like a stick we use , not a crutch to lean on.
How should we make our habits?
We should make habits for our convenience or enjoyment and occasionally break them to assert our independence.
What was the remedy find out by the writer for his problem?
The remedy writer found out for his problem was to happily put up his pen, and he took out a pencil and launched once more into the comfortable rut of habit ,which writer thinks was a pardonable result.
Answer the following in a paragraph
1.How did the writer come to know that he was in conflict with a habit?
The writer finds himself at a loss without his pencil. It was the tool he used for writing and regardless of how nice the pen he received was , he was unable to write with it.He could get no speed out of it though he tried coaxing and bastinado equally without any effect.Then it occurred to him that he was in conflict with a habit.It was his practice to do his writing with a pencil and used pen only for signing his name.There were not many hours of the day when he was without a pencil between thumb and finger.IT has become a part of his organism and was like a sword to him and was like a magic wand for him.Sitting with a pen in his hand, the whole complex of his habit was disturbed as the pen kept intruding between him and his thoughts.Something that was clear by writer's own difficulties, when it comes to his attempts to write with a pen, which made him realize that he was in conflict with a habit.
2.How can one take care of the tyranny of little habits?
Gardiner suggests that an individual should not let habits control them. Instead the individual should be in charge of their lives regardless of their routines or patterns. By remaining in control the individual will ensure not only that they remain in control of their lives but they will be happier knowing that they have a sense of balance in their lives. They will be more productive and if anything along with being in control and happier they will also be able to handle situations that are outside their control because they are not allowing their habits to be their one and only routine in life. An individual needs to adjust to their circumstances and not adhere to habits all the time. An individual needs to have the ability to change. Allowing them to adjust calmly and without complaint. Whereas those who adhere to habits all the time will not know what to do when their routine is changed.
3.Is there any harm in cultivating habits .Discuss.
No,there is no harm in cultivating habits, so long as they are not injurious habits. They simplify the mechanism of life. They enable us to do a multitude of things automatically which, if we had to give fresh and original thought to them each time, would make existence an impossible confusion. The more we can regularise our commonplace activities by habit, the smoother our path and the more leisure we command. But habits should be a stick that we use, not a crutch to lean on. We ought to make them for our convenience or enjoyment and occasionally break them to assert our independence. We ought to be able to employ them, without being discomposed when we cannot employ them.Habits are fine when they are controlled but become cumbersome or a burden when not kept in check.
4.What does happen by a trivial breach of habits?Discuss it with reference to Mr.Balfour's case
The author in the lesson "On habits"is highlighting the fact ,how individuals had a set routine that they must follow ,in order to prosper in any task that they entertain. If they do not follow the pattern that they are accustomed to, they will inevitably fail at the task at hand.The author explains how discomposed a person can become when there is a trivial breach of habits by taking the example of Mr. Balfour. Mr. Balfour was proposing a toast at a dinner at the Mansion House.It was his custom in speaking, to hold the lapels of his coat. But that day the uniform he was wearing had no lapels and when his hands went up in search of them, he found that there were no lapels to hold on. He was mentally distracted and fumbled with the glasses on the table and did everything but took refuge in the pocket of the trousers. Though Mr.Balfour was too practised a speaker , his discomfiture was apparent. He struggled manfully through his speech, but all the time it was obvious that he was at a loss what to do with his hands , having no lapels ,on which to hang them.
III.Essay questions
1.How does the writer solve his problem with regard to his habit?Elucidate with examples?
In the lesson "On Habits" by A.G. Gardiner, the author is exploring the theme of routine. The writer finds himself at a loss without his pencil. It was the tool he used for writing and regardless of how nice the pen he received was , he was unable to write with it.He could get no speed out of it though he tried coaxing and bastinado equally without any effect.Then it occurred to him that he was in conflict with a habit.It was his practice to do his writing with a pencil and used pen only for signing his name.Most individuals had a set routine that they must follow in order to prosper in any task that they entertain. If they not follow the pattern that they are accustomed to they will inevitably fail at the task at hand. Something that is clear by his own difficulties when it comes to his attempts to write. He is able to satisfy himself when he is able to resort to his normal practice of using a pencil.
The matter of the young boy in Scott’s class is also another example of the difficulties one can incur if the pattern they follow is disturbed. The boy himself is lost and uncertain of what to do, when he found that the button he used to fumble with, whenever he was asked any question, was missing. With habits one becomes adept at the task at hand and possibly better than others. So one is left open to other people’s anxieties and jealousies.
It is also noticeable that the writer feels anxious when he does not remember what peg he has hung his coat on. Calmness only returns when he develops a routine or habit of picking the same peg or the nearest peg to it, all the time. This may be significant as he may be suggesting that there are benefits to having a routine or habit in order to keep an individual’s peace of mind remains intact. However Gardiner believes that habits should be occasionally broken in order for one to remain independent of their routine and not let their habits control them.
In reality an individual who does not occasionally break their habits or become independent of them leaves themselves open to a restless and unfulfilling life. Habits are fine when they are controlled but become cumbersome or a burden when not kept in check. It is for this reason that Gardiner suggests that an individual should not let habits control them. Instead the individual should be in charge of their lives regardless of their routines or patterns.
The author explains how discomposed a person can become when there is a trivial breach of habits by taking the example of Mr. Balfour. Mr. Balfour was proposing a toast at a dinner at the Mansion House.It was his custom in speaking, to hold the lapels of his coat. But that day the uniform he was wearing had no lapels and when his hands went up in search of them, he found that there were no lapels to hold on. He was mentally distracted and fumbled with the glasses on the table . He struggled manfully through his speech, but all the time it was obvious that he was at a loss what to do with his hands.Those who adhere to habits all the time will not know what to do when their routine is changed.
The writer finally founds out a remedy for his problem and happily put up his pen, and he took out a pencil and launched once more into the comfortable rut of habit ,which writer thinks was a pardonable result.
Additional English
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