Quotes About Self-control

O Christian, give not place to Satan, no, not an inch, in his first motions. He that is a beggar and a modest one with out doors, will command the house if let in. Yield at first, and thou givest away thy strength to resist him in the rest; when the hem is worn, the whole garment will ravel out, if it be not mended by timely repentance.

Cum carne nutriuntur vita carnis—the lusts of the flesh are nourished when the body is pampered.

He was a man of excitable and fiery nature; but through his high-discipline he converted the fire into a central glow and motive force of life, instead of permitting it to waste itself in useless passion.

Those who can command themselves command others.

The whole art of training consists in two things, exercise and abstinence, abstinence and exercise, repeated alternately without end.

Who would be a more suitable leader of a city or more worthy to rule over people than a philosopher? It is appropriate for him (if he really is a philosopher) to be wise, self-controlled, magnanimous, a judge of just and proper things, able to accomplish what he sets out to do, and able to endure pain. In addition to these things, he should be bold, fearless, able to face things that seem terrible, and also a benefactor, honest, and humane.

a famous quote by Nietzsche, "Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster.

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

and what if I did drink too much? Whose business is that? Who knows how much I didn't drink?

Somebody tells you they drink because they're a failure, it ain't so. They're a failure because they drink. And they drink because it's so damn hard not to. But as long as they have a bottle that isn't empty, they never feel far from being happy. ("Bums")

Why would I be angry? Because they believe a thing does not make it so. There is no dignity in anger. But I am also not a kicked dog.

Every time we let ourselves believe for unworthy reasons, we weaken our powers of self-control, of doubting, of judicially and fairly weighing evidence. We all suffer severely enough from the maintenance and support of false beliefs and the fatally wrong actions which they lead to, and the evil born when one such belief is entertained is great and wide.

Samuel Johnson: "He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

He breakfasted on bloody marys and beer and drank Wild Turkey and Chivas by the tumbler, but he was rarely shit-faced.

Those words you want to say right now? Don't say them." He smiled and cuffed my cheek with something close to real affection. "And that, my friend, is the secret to living a long life.

holding people responsible. People born into the most chaotic situations can still be asked the same questions: Are you living for short-term pleasure or long-term good? Are you living for yourself or for your children? Do you have the freedom of self-control or are you in bondage to your desires? The Cost of Relativism, NYT article 3/10/15

Freedom without structure is its own slavery.

The only thing that remained distinct about Grace, through it all, was his equipoise. He never lost his cool. He never snapped at his aides. He never panicked. He'd always been the coolest person in any room, and drew people to him by force of his coolness, and that never changed.

Complete freedom is as much curse as boon; freedom within strict and well-defined confines is, to me, ideal.

But being an addict means that you never stipulate to being an adult. You may, as the occasion requires, adopt the trade dress of a grown-up, showing responsibility and gravitas in spurts to get by, but the rest of the time, you do what you want when you want.

I am safe—I am safe—yes—if I be not fool enough to make open confession!" —EDGAR ALLAN POE, "THE IMP OF THE PERVERSE

If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far." -Daniel Goleman

Except for little children, who must be rightfully restrained by their parents, no one should find themselves being controlled by another person.

I've known a lot of political figures but never another one whose self-control seemed so fragile.