Habit is a second nature — repeated behaviour becomes as natural and as difficult to change as one's inborn character. Both good habits and bad habits become part of who we are.
This proverb (derived from Aristotle's observation that virtue is a habit) took particular root in the disciplined working culture of Lombardy. The Milanese merchant who rose at five every morning, checked his accounts before breakfast, visited his warehouse at eight, and was at his desk by nine — for decades, without variation — had made these habits as natural as breathing. They required no effort, no discipline, no reminder. Equally, the worker who began every shift with a cup of coffee shared with his colleagues, who never skipped the safety check, who always greeted the foreman — these habits were woven into his identity. The proverb counsels the deliberate cultivation of good habits in youth, knowing that they will become automatic in middle age and irreplaceable in old age.
Lombard version of the Aristotelian observation on habit. Deeply embedded in the disciplined working culture of the region.
A Milanese father advising his son on building discipline
Studia ogni giorno alla stessa ora per sei mesi. L'abitudine l'è ona seconda natura — dopo non farai più fatica.
Study every day at the same time for six months. Habit is a second nature — afterwards it will require no more effort.
A Lombard artisan on the muscle memory of craft
Dopo trent'anni le mie mani sanno come fare la sedia da sole. L'abitudine l'è ona seconda natura — il cervello pensa ad altro.
After thirty years my hands know how to make the chair by themselves. Habit is a second nature — the brain thinks about other things.
A Milanese doctor on the difficulty of breaking bad habits
Il tabacco è entrato nella tua vita come una seconda natura. Non è solo dipendenza chimica — è identità. L'abitudine l'è ona seconda natura.
Tobacco has entered your life as a second nature. It is not just chemical dependence — it is identity. Habit is a second nature.
A Turin sportsman on training routine
Mi alleno alle sei ogni mattina da dodici anni. L'abitudine l'è ona seconda natura — quando non lo faccio mi sento strano.
I train at six every morning for twelve years. Habit is a second nature — when I do not do it I feel strange.