“Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.” – Seneca, Roman Stoic Philosopher, 4 BC-65 AD
“Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.” – Seneca, Roman Stoic Philosopher, 4 BC-65 ADTemptation is all the greater in the modern age of ultra-convenience. Practicing “all things in moderation” is made more difficult because there are simply more “all things” than there ever has been at a man’s fingertips or a walk down the street. Luckily, the virtue of self-control (which is actually a collection of virtues) and how it is applied has not changed. The best way to gain control over an area in your life is to break the habit by means of a solid determination to master it, rather than allowing it to master you.
In case you were wondering of the reason I chose the vintage coffee advertisement for the featured image in this post, I am indeed kicking coffee. No decaf, no anything. Yes, it’s sad I know, and it kind of sucks. This may not be a permanent thing but I feel much more steady during the day, energy wise, and am saving a few bucks as well. As I write this I am sitting with an organic mint mélange tea, sweetened with honey. Manliness -10, Energy +5.
And since we are talking about tea, I’ll add another quote from a famous Brit. Definitely an insightful thought on resisting temptation and how it makes us more manly!
“A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is… A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.” – C.S. Lewis, Christian Apologist, 1898-1963
“A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is… A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.” – C.S. Lewis, Christian Apologist, 1898-1963There are probably a few areas that come to mind already, but here are some that may help if not:
- Diet (particularly sugar intake or over eating)
- Waking up on a schedule
- Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
- Your phone (put it down)
- Porn
- Talking too much
- Exercise
- Saying no to extracurricular activities
- Fireside Topic articles are interesting topics to get men talking. Find a few friends and throw a question out there and see what develops. Read more here. -