xvn CARE AND TRAINING OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 243 



Second, habits are most easily formed during periods 

 of most rapid growth and of greatest nutrition. The 

 young tree can be best bent during the spring and 

 early summer, when the sap flows freely. Physical 

 habits can 'be acquired most easily during the years of 

 rapid physical growth. Mental habits are most readily 

 formed when the brain grows fastest, because every 

 mental habit is due to a change of some sort in the 

 brain structure. While the brain is plastic, the nutri- 

 tion good, and the growth rapid, habits are formed 

 which permanently change the structure of the brain 

 cells. Habits are formed for life because we cannot get 

 rid of our brains. We can now understand why it is so 

 difficult to break a habit. 



The formation of habits begins in early infancy. The 

 nurse feeds the infant at regular intervals of about two 

 hours, and it always gets hungry on time. If the infant 

 is put to sleep at ten o'clock, it soon gets sleepy at that 

 time every day. So we have habits of sleeping, eating, 

 working, walking, standing, breathing, thinking, feel- 

 ing, and willing. Some one has aptly said, " Man is a 

 walking bundle of habits." All our personal or physi- 

 cal habits are fixed for life before the age of twenty is 

 reached, and our business or professional habits before 

 thirty. 



By forming good, useful habits, the entire nervous 

 system becomes our most powerful ally, the brain be- 

 comes our strong friend ; but if bad, slovenly habits are 

 formed, the nervous structure becomes a hostile foe and 

 a dangerous enemy. Habit simplifies all of our move- 



