The Importance of Habits

Habits, once planted, are not expected to form the soul on their own. Those habits are products of vigilant husbandry. In this way, just as nurses mould a child's body with their hands, so tutors, by the habits they inculcate, train the child's character to take a first step were on the path to virtue. Lawgivers make the citizens good by training them in habits of right action. This is the aim of all legislation. And if it fails to do this, it is a failure.