How Can I Develop Self-Control & Moderation?
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the concept of moderation, drawing from the Greek phrase 'Metron Ariston,' and emphasizes its importance in spiritual development. It suggests starting with controlling speech and eating habits as a means to curb idleness and gluttony. The speaker advocates for intentional self-discipline, using self-punishment for lapses as a method to progress. The script also highlights the journey of self-improvement over time, comparing it to a war fought inch by inch, with the ultimate goal of achieving freedom from passions and moving towards holiness.
Takeaways
- 📘 The concept of 'everything in moderation' is rooted in the Greek phrase 'Metron Ariston', which emphasizes the importance of balance and measured actions in life.
- 🗣️ Developing moderation often starts with controlling speech and eating habits, suggesting that these are areas where one can make immediate progress.
- 🙏 A spiritual approach to moderation involves being vigilant, prayerful, and seeking divine assistance to cultivate self-control.
- 🤔 Intentionality is key in developing moderation; one should think before speaking and avoid idle talk to practice self-restraint.
- 🏋️♂️ Punishing oneself pedagogically, such as skipping sweets or doing extra prayers, can serve as a method to reinforce the habit of moderation.
- 🎨 The Aesthetics, known for their methodical and intentional cultivation of virtues, provide an example of how to develop moderation through self-discipline.
- 🚫 Combating idleness, gluttony, and slothfulness are suggested as initial steps towards achieving moderation and breaking free from enslaving habits.
- 🔄 Personal growth and maturity, both on a basic human level and spiritually, are part of the journey towards moderation and holiness.
- 🕰️ Reflecting on one's progress over time can provide evidence of personal transformation and the development of moderation.
- 🤹♂️ The struggle with passions and thoughts is a continuous process, but with effort, one can see a reduction in these struggles over the years.
- 🌱 Spiritual maturity involves recognizing and overcoming the 'old man' within, which represents being enslaved by passions and desires.
- 🛡️ The fight for moderation and freedom from passions is likened to a war, where one must make incremental progress day by day.
Q & A
What is the Greek phrase 'Metron Ariston' commonly translated to mean?
-The phrase 'Metron Ariston' is commonly translated to mean 'everything in moderation', emphasizing the importance of balance and restraint in all aspects of life.
What are the two areas mentioned in the script where one can start practicing moderation?
-The script suggests starting with the mouth, in terms of both speaking and eating, as the two areas to begin practicing moderation.
What is the suggested method for cultivating the habit of speaking less?
-The method involves being vigilant, prayerful, and intentionally cultivating thoughts before speaking. It also includes setting self-punishments like not eating sweets or doing extra prayers if one engages in idle talk.
Who are the 'Aesthetics' referred to in the script, and what did they do?
-The 'Aesthetics' referred to in the script are individuals who methodically and intentionally cultivated virtues, including biting their tongue to stop speaking and avoiding idle talk and gluttony.
How does the script describe the process of spiritual growth and self-improvement?
-The script describes spiritual growth as a gradual process, where one can look back over the years and see progress in overcoming passions and maturing both as a human and spiritually.
What is the script's perspective on the relationship between moderation and holiness?
-The script suggests that moderation is not just a middle ground but is actually where holiness begins, indicating a desire to move beyond mere moderation towards complete freedom from passions.
What is the significance of the war analogy used in the script?
-The war analogy is used to illustrate the gradual and persistent effort required in spiritual warfare, fighting inch by inch and step by step to become free from passions and the influence of demons.
What is the role of self-knowledge in the script's discussion on overcoming idle talk and gluttony?
-Self-knowledge is crucial as it allows one to recognize and catch oneself engaging in behaviors like idle talk and gluttony, and then consciously choose to refrain from them.
How does the script define the 'old man' and its relation to enslavement?
-The 'old man' in the script represents the part of oneself that is enslaved to passions and desires, focusing on self-gratification and being unfree.
What is the importance of methodical and thoughtful abstinence according to the script?
-Methodical and thoughtful abstinence is important as it helps one to introduce moderation into their life, which is a stepping stone towards holiness and freedom from passions.
What does the script imply about the journey towards spiritual maturity?
-The script implies that spiritual maturity is a continuous process of self-improvement and growth, where one should continually reflect on their progress and strive to move beyond moderation towards holiness.
Outlines
📜 Developing Moderation in Speech and Eating
The first paragraph discusses the concept of 'moderation' as derived from the Greek 'Metron Aristos', emphasizing the importance of measured behavior in all aspects of life. It suggests starting with controlling speech and eating habits as a means to develop self-discipline. The speaker advocates for being vigilant, prayerful, and intentional in reducing idle talk and overeating, using self-punishments like abstaining from sweets or additional prayers as a means to correct behavior. The paragraph also touches on the historical practices of the Aesthetics, who were methodical in cultivating virtues and overcoming the enslavement to passions, leading to personal and spiritual growth. The speaker reflects on the progress made over the years in Orthodox practice, highlighting the journey from struggle to self-awareness and freedom from the 'old man', or the old sinful nature.
🌟 Striving for Holiness Beyond Moderation
The second paragraph continues the theme of moderation, but with a focus on the aspiration to move beyond mere moderation to achieve holiness. It emphasizes that the goal is not to be 'moderate' in a lukewarm sense but to be entirely free from worldly passions. The speaker uses the metaphor of a war, comparing the spiritual battle against personal vices to the territorial disputes in conflicts like the one between Ukraine and Russia, highlighting the gradual and determined effort required in spiritual growth. The paragraph concludes with the idea that through methodical and thoughtful practice, one can chip away at various aspects of life that hinder spiritual development, ultimately leading to a state of abstinence and moderation that is the starting point for true holiness.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Moderation
💡Measured
💡Virtues
💡Aesthetics
💡Idleness
💡Gluttony
💡Self-Knowledge
💡Spiritual Growth
💡Passions
💡Holiness
💡Demons
Highlights
The Greek phrase 'Metron Ariston' translates to 'everything in moderation', emphasizing the importance of balance in life.
Developing moderation often starts with controlling speech and eating habits.
Being vigilant, prayerful, and intentional in speech can help cultivate moderation.
Avoiding idle talk and excessive eating are immediate areas to focus on for progress.
The Aesthetics were methodical and intentional in cultivating virtues like avoiding idle talk and gluttony.
Cutting back on things can help break free from the slavery of passions and dependencies.
Looking back over time can show personal growth and maturity in both a human and spiritual level.
Self-knowledge and catching oneself can prevent falling into old habits like idle talk and gluttony.
Egotism is often involved in gluttony and excessive talking, which are expressions of being enslaved to the old self.
Spiritual growth is a gradual process, fighting inch by inch, step by step, day by day to become free from passions.
Moderation is not just a middle ground, but the starting point of holiness, aiming for complete freedom from passions.
The journey towards holiness involves methodically and thoughtfully addressing aspects of life like idle talk, gluttony, and sleep.
Abstinence, or Ina, is extremely important in this journey towards moderation and holiness.
The struggle for freedom from passions is likened to a war, fought incrementally over time.
The goal is not just moderation, but complete freedom and transformation from the old self to a more spiritual being.
Transcripts
how can you learn to develop
moderation P Metron aristos it says in
Greek everything in moderation is how we
translate that but it literally means
everything
measured the best the best way is for
everything to be measured all things in
moderation uh and so that's kind of
pointing to the Royal path but not
really um it's not exactly the Royal
path but
uh how can you develop moderation
well the probably for most of us the
first thing we need to start is with the
mouth whether it be speaking whether it
be eating those two things so you start
out by saying
today I'm gonna watch I'm gonna be
vigilant I'm gonna be prayerful I'm
gonna ask God to help me and I'm gonna
say I'm gonna
intentionally speak less I'm gonna
intentionally give five seconds before I
start to speak I'm gonna intentionally
cultivate many thoughts before I open my
mouth I'm gonna intentionally
avoid idle talk I'm gonna and if I do
perhaps end up speaking idly I'm gonna
punish
myself
pedagogically by not eating a sweet
today or doing five frustrations or
doing a 100 Jesus prayer or whatever or
All the Above
and so you begin to do and this is what
the Aesthetics did the Aesthetics were
methodical and and intentional in
cultivating the
virtues they would bite their tongue
literally so they would stop speaking
right so idle talk Idle
Hands and gluttony the stomach these are
the areas where you can start
immediately and make progress and um you
can put behind your your idol talking
and your excessive eating and your
slothfulness right and then in all of
that if you're aesthetically striving
and you're cutting your back on things
you're going to start to see moderation
you're going to start to
see get out from under the slavery get
out from under the the dependency right
we all have something we're all
struggling with something on some level
like there people are different places
and hopefully over time we actually can
see we can look back maybe not at the
time we can look back and we can say in
19 let's say I've been Orthodox 30 years
or no 32 years when I came in the church
so 1992 1995
1999 whatever 2005 2010 2015 2020 2024
right am I the same person am I this am
I struggling with the same passions I'm
cing with the same thoughts thank God no
no I I can I can honestly I'm not you
know we can see these things we're not
it's not some special Grace or I'm
making a lot of progress but you can see
that you're not the same person you
clearly we Chang continually we're
maturing on a basic human level and
we're becoming more mature which is very
helpful uh but Also spiritually you know
it's not the same so so we can look back
and see that two years ago I would
have you know sat and talked
incessantly but now today I I have I
have self- knowledge and I realize that
I catch myself and I don't allow myself
to idly talk uh just because you know
there's a there's an egotism involved in
that right there's an egotism involved
in
gluttony all about me I'm focused on me
I want to eat I want the feeling I want
this I want that all of that is an
expression of being enslaved to the old
man and not being free and so step by
step inch by inch we fight the war like
there's war going on right now Ukraine
Russia inch by inch step by step Village
by Village the war they're fighting over
that um what a tragic place what a
tragic thing they're fighting over the
you know the land there and the place
well the same thing happens in our
spiritual life inch by inch step by step
day by day we fight to become free from
the passions and from the enemy behind
the passions which are the
demons uh and if you do those you do
that meth methodically thoughtfully
with as I said idle talk
gluttony sleep all these there's so many
aspects of our life that we can chip
away and and introduce um Ina which is
abstinence which is extremely important
and that's going to bring you into a
place of moderation but I would say that
even beyond what people
expect expect or consider moderation
moderate is is is where Holiness begins
right we don't we're not satisfied with
like
having one foot in the passions and one
foot in the world we're in the middle
we're moderate right no we want to be
free entirely but let's get to
moderation if we're not there and then
we'll we'll see about moving on beyond
that
[Music]
right my
[Music]
oh
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