No person is free who is not master of himself.

No person is free who is not master of himself. – Pythagoras

It is one thing to enjoy a party. But when the party controls you, that is just too much.

What does that mean?
This quote is usually attributed to Epictetus, but found in works attributed to Pythagoras, and stated as: “None can be free who is a slave to, and ruled by, his passions.”

That makes the usual quote a little easier to understand. The mastery is of our emotions, our passions. If they rule those passions, they rule themself. Otherwise, the passion rules them.

And that is what this quote is about. It is a reminder to us to keep our passions, our overflowing emotions, under our control, lest we become a slave of these emotions.

Why is self-control important?
I imagine we have all seen someone who got a little too drunk and did something really stupid, right? They weren’t in control of their passions, and they were not in control of their lives, at least for that moment. And that isn’t any way to live, is it? I don’t think so.

This isn’t to say that alcohol is the only passion to which one can become enslaved. How about the sports fanatic, who not only has to watch their team, but has a team in every sport, all around the world? Are they in charge or is their passion ruling them?

The list of passions goes on and on, from lust to gambling to any number of others. But all have the same thing in common. There is always a ruler and one which is ruled. If the passion rules, you are a slave to it, subject to every whim that it may have. If you rule, you can indulge or avoid, as you see fit.

But to be the ruler of your little kingdom of yourself, you need control, self-control. With self-control, you can keep on top of your emotions, and make the decisions in your life, instead of having your passions do it for you. From that viewpoint, how important is self-control to you?

Where can I apply this in my life?
The obvious place to apply this quote is to the weakest parts of yourself. Where or when do you have trouble with your passions getting the best of you? If it’s just football season, and you can limit yourself to one game a week, then do you really have a problem?

However, if you’re betting the rent on a half dozen games each week, that is a whole different ball game, right? And that is something to think about and something on which you should probably start working. But what is the best way to do that? Do you have any ideas? What has or hasn’t worked in the past?

I’ve seen two basic approaches to dealing with out-of-control passions. One is complete avoidance, and the other is moving to a path of moderation or infrequent contact. Which one is best? That would depend on your ability to learn self-control, your personality, and the consequences of a slip-up.

From what I understand, the 12 step programs, and many other similar programs advocate complete avoidance. That works for many people (or the programs wouldn’t still be around). Will it work for you? That would depend. There is only one way to find out, right?

The other way is to back off on your exposure, until you can keep things under control. If you have trouble with alcohol, working at a beverage store or going to a lot of parties might not be the best idea, right? The idea with this method is to desensitize you, until you develop the necessary self-control.

To start with, completely avoiding things which would provoke your passion is probably the quickest way to a form self-control. In this case, the term would probably be denial, but semantics aside, it does provide you a level of control over yourself. It also buys you some time to do your research.

What research? The search for the best options for you, of course. Is there a book at the library which could help you understand yourself and your needs better? Is there a website which provides useful educational information? Are there any support groups in your area?

Until you can answer some of these questions, it’s going to be hard for you to make much progress, right? And I am going on the presumption that you do want at least a little more self-control. If not, why are you still reading the post? Seriously, if you don’t want to change, why are you still here?

Another thing you might want to consider regards the reason for your passion. Do alcoholics drink because they like the taste? Do they like the sensation of being drunk? Do they want to forget something or someone? Once you know why, it will be easier to plan your path forward.

From: Twitter, @tonyrobbins
confirmed at : http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pythagoras As quoted in Florilegium, XVIII, 23, as translated in Dictionary of Quotations (1906)
Photo by georgia