How did Hume think habit and custom shape beliefs about the world?

David Hume argued that our beliefs about the world—specifically regarding causality—are not derived from reason or logical demonstration, but are instead the product of habit and custom.12

Because we cannot observe a "necessary connection" between events, Hume concluded that our expectation that the future will resemble the past is a psychological compulsion. When we repeatedly experience two events occurring together in a specific temporal order, the mind forms a habitual association. Upon observing the first event, we are moved by custom to form an idea of the second, creating a feeling of "determination" or "liveliness" that constitutes belief.321

Hume’s skepticism lies in his assertion that while these beliefs are essential for human survival and are natural, inextinguishable propensities of human nature, they cannot be rationally justified. Ultimately, he maintained that "custom, not reason, is the great guide of life," as we are psychologically compelled to rely on these associations despite the lack of logical proof.12