Thomas Aquinas on habits

The theologian Thomas Aquinas saw habit as a significant component of spiritual life. In his Summa Theologica (1265-1274), habitus meant rational choice that leads the true believer to the sense of faithful freedom and consuetudo involved habits that inhibit this freedom: the irreligious, daily routines that don't actively engage with faith.

Consuetudo is where we get the terms 'custom' and 'costume' from. It suggests that habit extended beyond individuals.