Every age, every culture, every custom and tradition has its own character, its own weakness and its own strength, its read more

Every age, every culture, every custom and tradition has its own character, its own weakness and its own strength, its beauties and cruelties; it accepts certain sufferings as matters of course, puts up patiently with certain evils. Human life is reduced to real suffering, to hell, only when two ages, two cultures and religions overlap.

No man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs read more

No man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking.

Custom has furnished the only basis which ethics have ever had, and there is no conceivable human action which custom read more

Custom has furnished the only basis which ethics have ever had, and there is no conceivable human action which custom has not at one time justified and at another condemned

We do everything by custom, even believe by it; our very axioms, let us boast of free-thinking as we may, read more

We do everything by custom, even believe by it; our very axioms, let us boast of free-thinking as we may, are oftenest simply such beliefs as we have never heard questioned.

Ancient custom has the force of law.

Ancient custom has the force of law.

Custom is the great guide to human life

Custom is the great guide to human life

There is nothing that strengthens a nation like reading of a nation's own history, whether that history is recorded in read more

There is nothing that strengthens a nation like reading of a nation's own history, whether that history is recorded in books or embodied in customs, institutions and monuments.

Men commonly think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and imbibed opinions, but generally act according to read more

Men commonly think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and imbibed opinions, but generally act according to custom.

Custom governs the world; it is the tyrant of our feelings and our manners and rules the world with the read more

Custom governs the world; it is the tyrant of our feelings and our manners and rules the world with the hand of a despot.