Custom is second nature.
Meaning: Habits ingrained through repetition become as automatic and instinctive as inborn traits.
Origin: Cicero wrote that habit creates a kind of second nature, and the idea runs back to Aristotle. The English proverb means that what we do often enough becomes as natural to us as anything we were born with.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and Italian
- French: L'habitude est une seconde nature (literally: Habit is a second nature)
- Spanish: La costumbre es otra naturaleza (literally: Custom is second nature)
- Japanese: 習い性となる (Narai sei to naru) (literally: What is practiced becomes one's nature)
- German: Gewohnheit ist die zweite Natur (literally: Habit is the second nature)
- Italian: L’abito è una seconda natura (literally: Custom is second nature)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Many drops make a shower. — Small, repeated contributions accumulate into something substantial and significant.
- Faint praise is disparagement. — Subtle compliments delivered without genuine enthusiasm become insults through their very…
- Every man hath his faults. — Human imperfection is universal; judging others requires acknowledging your own flaws fir…
- A fool is fulsome. — Excessive praise reveals foolishness, as the wise speak measured words.
- Every man has his hobby-horse. — Everyone pursues their own passionate interests regardless of how peculiar others might f…
- Hot love is soon cold. — Passionate affection that ignites rapidly tends to fade equally fast, lacking enduring fo…
From our compliments & insults
- Eline sağlık — Praise and thanks to someone — especially a cook — for something made beautifully by hand.
- És uma joia — You're a gem — a precious, lovely person.
- Sei un salame — You're a clumsy, dopey softie — said with a smile.