proverb · Words worth keeping
Habit is the guide of the narrow minded.
Habit is the guide of the narrow minded.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Habit guiding the narrow-minded criticises automatic reliance on familiar ways. The saying asks whether repetition has replaced fresh consideration.
What the words are saying
A critical reading does not define people permanently by a dismissive label or make every habit harmful. Reliable routines can be useful, while a changed situation may require review. A useful application examines the particular practice and reasons for it rather than condemning routine itself.
Everyday example
Someone checks whether an established procedure still fits a changed need before discarding or retaining it.
When to use it
Use it to examine routine with evidence rather than insult.
What it does not mean
No inherent lack of understanding from having habits is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 456; PDF page 43; collection label: Middle East
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Middle East