# 24

In cultivating oneself,

it is best to root out bad habits

and tolerate those that are harmless.

~~ I Ching

If you are too weak to overcome habits that are obviously bad for you, your future is indeed bleak. While temporary pleasures may accompany bad habits, they are, in the long run, detrimental to you and even in the short run weaken you. Acquiring a long-run problem in exchange for a short-run pleasure is not a good bargain. It takes strength and determination to rid yourself of bad habits that control  you, but by so doing, you will gain control, increase your strength, and have a better life. A superior person is always in control of his habits. To be successful in rooting out bad habits, it is, however, wise to tolerate harmless habits for a time; if you are too strict with yourself, you may fail in your purpose.

-- wu wei