Where Did This Habit Of

How did you develop the habit of reading?

10 years ago I was watching a lot of TV. Mindless TV.Re-run after re-run of Seinfeld, Friends, King of Queens and, it cringes me to say, Two and a Half Men.And the worst part.I was watching episodes I'd already seen 10 times. Scratch that, 15 times. I was spending 30+ hours a week. Watching the same things over and over again.There’s nothing wrong watching a purely funny TV show (Two and a Half Men not included). But I knew this was becoming an unhealthy habit. An addiction.Because I wasn’t turning on the Television to watch a show. I was turning on the television. And then searching until I settled for a show.So I got rid of my television and cut out TV cold turkey.Suddenly I found myself with 30 extra hours a week. And I didn't have any other hobbies to fill the void.So I got serious about reading.It wasn’t easy at first. I’m not a natural reader. I wasn’t some bookworm kid who always had his heads in the stacks of the library. I didn't read my first book for pleasure until I was 18.But I just kept pushing myself to read more. Because, honestly, I didn't have anything to else to do.The trick was finding books that were easy to read. And about things I liked. In other words, I didn't go right for Nietzsche.I obviously loved TV. And Pop-Culture. So I started reading books that were modern and funny. With great characters.These book were easier to get into because they FELT like TV.Now after 10 years of not owning a TV. I finally pulled the trigger and got one for my apartment again.And that's okay. Because I conditioned myself. And I no longer have the urge to just turn on the tube and mindlessly watch re-runs.So I guess the key to growth is replacing bad habits with good ones. In my case, the good habit happened to be reading.Nowadays, I'd much rather read a fun and honest book. Than watch another one of Charlie Harper's one night stands go wrong.Not that there's anything wrong with that.

How did the habit of sitting with legs crossed start?

When our ancestors had enough spare time. It wasn't a habit when we were too busy with survival, because if one sits too long and too often when predators are lurking and such, one will surely perish. As our numbers grew, as our defences improved, we could afford more time to sitting crossed legged.

When and how did the habit of reading came into the western culture?

Reading has been around as long as there have been written languages… you can go all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia, for example.But whether most people were able to read is another matter. For the great majority of history, probably no more than 10 percent of the adult population could read.Several modern developments changed that:First, the invention of the printing press made far more materials available to read. Now, the motivation to learn how to read (especially in Europe) became much greater, and more people took it up.Second, the Industrial Revolution helped create a rising middle class. In this class, young children did not have to go to work so early in their lives; there was a longer development time. So now, there was time for more children to learn to read and write.Third, universal public education, at least for “grammar” school (K-6) made an immense difference. The USA was one of the first to adopt this policy, which — back then — helped make it a more egalitarian society and promote economic mobility.

Where did the habit of clapping after an airplane lands start?

Here's why people clap when planes land, according to expertsWhere (and Why?) do People Clap When Planes Land?

What were some strange habits of Napoleon Bonaparte?

Though very interesting, previous answers didn’t focus on the « strange habits » of Napoleon.Napoleon did have strange habits, however.Here are some examples:• When Napoleon was talking outisde, he would systematically and repeatedly hit the ground with his riding crop.• When talking to someone while walking, he would grab that person’s arm and lean on it.• Whenever he went to bed, he would undress swiftly, throwing his clothes and accessories around the room with absolute indifference. Even his watch would be thrown around, which often resulted in breakage. He was described by his servants and aids as being in such a hurry to go to sleep that he would undress while walking towards his bed, almost tearing his clothes off and letting them falls on the floor.• When he was dealing with documents, he would let them fall on the floor after he was done with them.• He would throw books in the hearth if he was bored with them. That was not a theatrical gesture. He would do it when he was alone too. He would also throw books through the window of his car when he didn’t like them.• He liked to smell tobacco. He would not snuff. He just liked the smell of tobacco. He always had several small « tabatières » (tobacco boxes) around the room. He would take one while talking, smell from it for a moment, then throw the tobacco on the floor. Another strange habit of his was to say « hem » while smelling the tobacco, which sounded a bit like « hein? » (« what did you say? ») and would lead guests or subordinates to repeat what they had just said. To which Napoleon would unpleasantly say « I understood what you said, no need to repeat. »• He liked to « saucer » his dishes (use a piece of bread to wipe the remaining sauce off the plate). He would then wipe his hands with the tablecloth. He didn’t use napkins.• When seated on a leather or fabric chair, he would use his small knife to stab and cut the seat. Regardless of the quality or value of the chair.• He would stir camp fires with his feet, poking them with the tip of his boots, ruining them in the process.• He loved green beans but never ate any because he was too afraid to eat one that still had its string attached. He hated the strings because it felt like eating hair and he found it unbearingly disgusting.