Quotes About Self-control

No man can be trapped without his consent.

A prudent man will not discover his poverty, his self-torments, the disorders of his house, his uneasiness, or his disgrace.

If you hang your swimsuit On the refrigerator door, The goodies inside Will be easier to ignore.

Never put thyself in the way of temptation: even David could not resist it.

Nothing is more becoming a man than silence. It is not the preaching but the practice which ought to be considered as the more important. A profusion of words is sure to lead to error.

The good man is he who rules himself as he does his own property: his autonomous being is modelled on material power.

Work while you work, play while you play - this is a basic rule of repressive self-discipline.

A lady might feel fear, but she must not give in to it, or so her governess had taught her.

Restraints upon our natural inclinations, which left to themselves do not automatically lead us to do what is good for us and often indeed lead us to evil, are not only necessary; they are the indispensable condition of civilized existence.

The first requirement of civilisation is that men should be willing to repress their basest instincts and appetites: failure to do which makes them, on account of their intelligence, far worse than mere beasts.

The prevention of evil will always require more than desirable social arrangements: it will forever require personal self-control and the conscious limitation of appetites.

We must both recognise the limitations imposed upon us by our natures and at the same time not give up striving to control ourselves. If we fail to do either, we shall succumb to ideological or instinctual beastliness—or (the curious achievement of our own age) to both.

The most difficult thing in the world is to know how to do a thing and to watch someone else do it wrong without comment

at the outset almost every man is frightened when he goes into action, but that the course to follow is for the man to keep such a grip on himself that he can act just as if he was not frightened. After this is kept up long enough it changes from pretense to reality, and the man does in very fact become fearless by sheer dint of practicing fearlessness when he does not feel it.

I'm not someone who feels anger on particular issues.

The good devout man first makes inner preparation for the actions he has later to perform. His outward actions do not draw him into lust and vice; rather it is he who bends them into the shape of reason and right judgement. Who has a stiffer battle to fight than the man who is striving to conquer himself.

Qui sait le mieux souffrir possédra la plus grande paix. Celui-là est vainqueur de soi et maître du monde, ami de Jésus-Christ et héritier du ciel.

It is not really a small thing when in small things we resist self.

At the least, bear patiently, if thou canst not joyfully. And although thou be very unwilling to hear it, and feel indignation, yet check thyself, and suffer no unadvised word to come forth from thy lips, whereby the little ones may be offended. Soon the storm which hath been raised shall be stilled, and inward grief shall be sweetened by returning grace.

It is a hard thing to break through a habit and a yet harder thing to go contrary to our own will. Yet if thou overcome not slight and easy obstacles how wilt thou overcome greater ones Withstand thy will at the beginning and unlearn an evil habit lest it lead thee little by little into worse difficulties. Oh if thou knewest what peace to thyself thy holy life should bring ...and what joy to others methinketh thou wouldst be more zealous for spiritual profit.

Who has a more fierce struggle than the person who strives to master himself? And this must be our occupation: to strive to master ourselves and daily to grow stronger and to advance from good to better. All

Two things especially lead to great improvement: the will to drag yourself from the things that will naturally harm you and the desire to pursue the good things that you need the most. You should also watch out for those things that irritate you in other people; when you see them in yourself, get rid of them. Turn everything to your advantage.

No man can safely speak, unless he who would gladly remain silent.

Grant to me a humble and quiet spirit, one that is never uncontrolled or garrulous.