Human Nature

NATURE is often hidden; sometimes overcome; seldom extinguished. Force, maketh nature more violent in the return; doctrine and discourse, maketh nature less importune; but custom only doth alter and subdue nature. He that seeketh victory over his nature, let him not set himself too great, nor too small tasks; for the first will make him dejected by often failings; and the second will make him a small proceeder, though by often prevailings. And at the first let him practise with helps, as swimmers do with bladders or rushes; but after a time let him practise with disadvantages, as dancers do with thick shoes. For it breeds great perfection, if the practice be harder than the use. Where nature is mighty, and therefore the victory hard, the degrees had need be, first to stay and arrest nature in time; like to him that would say over the four and twenty letters when he was angry; then to go less in quantity; as if one should, in forbearing wine, come from drinking healths, to a draught at a meal; and lastly, to discontinue altogether. But if a man have the fortitude, and resolution, to enfranchise himself at once, that is the best:

Human nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, but seldom extinguished. Force makes it return more violently. Teaching and discussion make its demands less pressing. But only habit changes and subdues it. Anyone seeking to master their nature should set tasks that are neither too great nor too small. Tasks that are too great bring discouragement through repeated failure. Tasks that are too small bring little progress, despite repeated success. At first, practice with aids, as swimmers do with inflated bladders or bundles of rushes. Later, practice with obstacles, as dancers do with heavy shoes. Practicing under harder conditions than actual performance develops great skill. When natural impulses are strong and hard to overcome, the process needs to happen in stages. First, learn to stop and check the impulse before it takes hold. One man did this by reciting the twenty-four letters of the alphabet when he was angry. Next, reduce how much you give in to it. Someone giving up wine might move from drinking toasts to having one drink with a meal. Finally, stop altogether. But if someone has the courage and determination to break free all at once, that is best:

Neither is the ancient rule amiss, to bend nature, as a wand, to a contrary extreme, whereby to set it right, understanding it, where the contrary extreme is no vice. Let not a man force a habit upon himself, with a perpetual continuance, but with some intermission. For both the pause reinforceth the new onset; and if a man that is not perfect, be ever in practice, he shall as well practise his errors, as his abilities, and induce one habit of both; and there is no means to help this, but by seasonable intermissions. But let not a man trust his victory over his nature, too far; for nature will lay buried a great time, and yet revive, upon the occasion or temptation. Like as it was with AEsop's damsel, turned from a cat to a woman, who sat very demurely at the board's end, till a mouse ran before her. Therefore, let a man either avoid the occasion altogether; or put himself often to it, that he may be little moved with it. A man's nature is best perceived in privateness, for there is no affectation; in passion, for that putteth a man out of his precepts; and in a new case or experiment, for there custom leaveth him. They are happy men, whose natures sort with their vocations; otherwise they may say, multum incola fuit anima mea; when they converse in those things, they do not affect. In studies, whatsoever a man commandeth upon himself, let him set hours for it; but whatsoever is agreeable to his nature, let him take no care for any set times; for his thoughts will fly to it, of themselves; so as the spaces of other business, or studies, will suffice. A man's nature, runs either to herbs or weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other.

The ancient rule is also sound. To straighten your nature, bend it like a stick toward the opposite extreme. This applies only when that opposite extreme is not itself a vice. Do not try to build a habit through constant practice without breaks. A pause gives fresh strength to the next effort. And anyone who has not yet mastered a skill will practice errors as well as abilities. Both will become part of the same habit. The only remedy is to take breaks at suitable times. But do not put too much trust in your victory over your nature. It may lie buried for a long time, then revive when opportunity or temptation comes. This happened to the young woman in Aesop’s fable, who had been changed from a cat into a woman. She sat very properly at the end of the table until a mouse ran past her. So either avoid the temptation altogether or face it often enough that it barely affects you. A person’s nature is clearest in private, where there is no pretending. It also shows in strong emotion, which makes people forget their principles. And it shows in unfamiliar situations or experiments, where habit no longer guides them. People are fortunate when their natures suit their work. Otherwise, they may say, “My soul has long lived as a stranger,” when occupied with things they do not enjoy. In your studies, set regular hours for whatever you must force yourself to do. But do not worry about fixed times for whatever suits your nature. Your thoughts will turn to it on their own. The gaps between other work or studies will be enough. A person’s nature produces either useful plants or weeds. So water the one and destroy the other at the proper time.