Last week's Friday Five was all about habits. Here are my thoughts:
1. What bad habits bother you the most?
- Not flushing the toilet.
- Leaving your mess for someone else to clean up.
- Getting angry with people for no reason at all; taking out your anger on someone when they did nothing wrong.
2. What good habits do you most admire?
- People who can be minimal, seemingly without trying.
- People who always show kindness even when they are angry; people with seemingly endless amounts of patience.
- People who aren't afraid to try something new or push the limits.
3. What unusual habits do you observe in your family members? Do they bother you?
Nothing unusual comes to mind. The habits I see in my family can be seen almost anywhere. But yes, if they are any of the "bad habits" above, they do bother me. And, of course, I admire the good traits.
4. Which bad habit do you think would be the most difficult to get rid of? Why?
Anything learned and not corrected over time. Or, if what people in one culture consider a "bad habit" is a "good habit" in another culture, I could see that causing problems for immigrants.
For example, waiting in line for your turn is a thing in the US, but in other countries, you have to push your way to the front. So, here that's rude. There, not so much.
Holding a knife in one hand and a fork in the other is pretty common in Europe; here it's like "Calm down! You don't have to scarf your whole meal down in 1.5 seconds. You can take the time to patiently put down your knife when you aren't cutting." Of course, I realize a lot of people have taken on the European method in the US, but it's still not nearly as common as it is there.
5. Which good habit do you think would be the most difficult to develop? Why?
Kindness, patience. Anything to do with fear.
Obviously, fear can hold you back. If you never learn or attempt to face or challenge your fear, you will constantly struggle. And I'm talking about fears you can overcome. You might have served in the military and be afraid of certain sounds or be depressed; that's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to the anxiety you feel when you practice a second language. Or when you perform a talent in front of a group of people for the first time.
Being patient and kind can obviously be difficult for people that are used to getting what they want right when they want it. Or when you are having a bad day, it can be a struggle to not take it out on other people.
What are some good and bad habits you deal with? Are there any that particularly bother you? Or make you particularly happy?
