Overcome Oneself, Overcome One's Desires

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies, for the hardest victory is victory over self.
- Aristotle

"What is more important: satisfying one thousand desires or conquering just one?"

"The first and the best victory is to conquer self."
Plato

Some people in the name of spontaneity refuse to discipline their drives, urges, desires, wishes, and whims. What may seem like intuition is actually reactive or impulsive behavior. When ego is not disciplined and under control, it will frequently generate impulsive thoughts to get you to undertake an action because it desires action.
John Hayden

The man who has sufficient power over himself to wait until his nature has recovered its even balance is the truly wise man, but such beings are seldom met with.
Giacomo Casanova


"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell." Buddha

"In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves… self-discipline with all of them came first." Harry S. Truman

"If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self." Napoleon Hill

Who understands the world is learned;
Who understands the self is enlightened.
Who conquers the world has strength;
Who conquers the self has harmony;
Who is determined has purpose.
Who is contented has wealth;
Who defends his home may long endure;
Who surrenders his home may long survive it.
Tao Te Ching

The greatest battles aren't fought on the batlefield, they are fought in your mind: Conquer your mind, conquer the world.