proverb · Words worth keeping
Custom is second nature.
Custom is second nature.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Repeated practice can become so familiar that it feels natural. Second nature describes that acquired ease, without proving that a habit is good, unchangeable or shared by everyone.
Example
A volunteer routinely checks the room’s booking calendar before sending invitations, then updates that routine when the group changes to a new scheduling system.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The proverb calls custom a second nature because a repeated way of acting may come to feel ordinary rather than deliberately chosen each time. A routine can make a task easier to remember or perform, but familiarity alone does not establish that it is suitable. The useful reading notices what has become automatic and whether it still serves its purpose. Habits can be reconsidered when circumstances change, and new practices may require time and support. The saying describes the felt familiarity of repetition; it is not a scientific account of learning or proof that someone cannot act differently.
When to use it
Use it when a learned routine has come to feel automatic or ordinary.
Keep in mind
Familiarity is not proof of value or permanence; routines can be revised.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English