Creatures of Habit

Original Publication 12/06/20

One of my favourite quotes is by American philosopher Will Durrant. The quote (often discredited to Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle) reads: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”

I've been thinking a lot this week about the pursuit of excellence. During more difficult days, my mind often unravels into forms of self-evaluation. I dissect, I analyse and I try to understand. Understanding “the self” is perhaps the biggest challenge. At our core, we are almost always our own person. We grow and evolve throughout the course of our lives but, arguably, we are fundamentally the same entity. It is our perception and our outlook that fluctuates, from both an internal perspective and in how we see and value others.

Ultimately, we are creatures of habit. We act in ways that are synonymous with our disposition and this process is pertinent to individuals as well as our society at large. As a whole, we’re quick to take note of our perceived shortcomings and often we resolve to amend that which makes us unsettled. Some of us, however, will eventually face regression in some form or another, succumbing to a state wherein we reveal those actions and perceived inequalities that we had been so ready to previously cast aside.

The best we can ask for is to keep them locked away, under a figurative lock and key. There, we can begin to recognise them, we can begin to tame them and, perhaps, even befriend them. Treat them as you would a domesticated animal, letting them out to play and be free when we feel that control slipping, for it will. Find those things that make you happy, settled and content. Use them, if nothing else then to sure your grip.

Perhaps the most important thing of all, though, allow yourself to make mistakes. Everyone falters, and while the number and nature of these will depend on how much you choose to invest in yourself, or just how much that special someone means to you, it is irrational to expect consistent excellence, and the pursuit of such will only lead you to insecurity. All we can ask for is to be the best version of ourselves.