About fighting the devil and the criterion that you definitely lost

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

It is customary among the common people to say that everything bad comes from the devil. He is accused of tempting a person to do a bad deed. If we relate to this from a philosophical standpoint, then we can really talk about some "devil" sitting in a person's head and forcing them to do various stupid things. There is even the expression “the demon beguiled,” meaning that the person was possessed by the demon at the time of the act, that is, he was thinking not quite with his own head. Many people know about this inner "devil", a sort of inner voice that persuades and pushes for something or justifies a bad deed, but not everyone understands how this phenomenon can be easily defeated. Downright elementary, no effort at all. Can you imagine? If not, read on.

Before I explain how the technique works, I will additionally describe the situations when you are trying (how much in vain) to fight the devil. This includes ALL times when you:

• justifying the bad deed both before and after it was done;
• promise yourself “one last time” before doing something stupid;
• you decide to start something not now, but "from Monday";
• just think about unworthy, but pleasant for you personally behavior or process;
• refuse to fight the flaw at all when it is obvious, but pleasant for you;
• being lazy or procrastinating;
• justify your passivity in matters of improving yourself or the world around you;
• you decide to deceive someone, justifying it with the option of “lying to save”;
• take the position “the end justifies the means”;
• doing perfectionism.

I think I could name about fifty similar situations, but you got the general idea: when there is an internal dialogue, in order to find a rational explanation for the fact that you want to do something wrong, at least intuitively understanding this wrong, in order to drown out the voice of conscience (up to committing an act) or a feeling of shame (after). Instead of assessing the situation as objectively as possible, you begin to rationalize the WISHED, and NOT the right (if they do not coincide).

So, guys, an important rule: you lost to the devil IMMEDIATELY after you entered into a dialogue. Everything! As soon as you started negotiating, you definitely lost. Whatever the terms of the contract, you will incur more losses than gains gained (for a short time). As soon as you begin to negotiate, look for options to bypass conscience and shame - defeat is assured.

A good way to win is not to enter into a dialogue at all and not to start a discussion. The best thing to do is just to be silent and not pay attention.

As soon as the devil whispers: "I ought to have a hangover, pour the pipes after yesterday." Wrong answer: "Yes, I seem to have quit, somehow it’s not good, although, of course, I want to." Almost correct answer: "Go booze without me." Quite correct answer: silence and enthusiastic thinking about something useful.

The problem of many alcoholics is that they think about the problem, it haunts them, they remember how good it is with the bottle. This is already the beginning of a dialogue with the devil, and at that moment the alcoholic has already lost. Even if he still does not take the bottle by force of will, he will still spend his strength on the struggle. Or you can not fight at all, it is enough NOT to think about the problem of your addiction and ignore any signals of the devil (including physiological ones). The same goes for people who are addicted to other drugs, including sex.

So, this short note is intended to clarify for you two points with which, of course, you MUST NOT agree until you relate them to your reality:

1. as soon as you enter into a dialogue and try to discuss the wrong act in order to find an opportunity to commit it, you have already lost;
2. you can defeat the devil and not fall for the kindergarten scoundrel in this way (not the only one, but suitable for the majority): ignore, ignore, think about something else.

One might argue: how then can one discuss bad deeds in general, after all, you need to give them an assessment, etc.? Yes, that's right, you can discuss them, and even give an assessment, but I mean that you cannot enter into a dialogue, the purpose of which is to agree on how to accomplish them, even if this goal is somehow veiled.

In addition, I will give an instructive example of how to do not … at the very beginning of the film "Lost Virtue" from the "Common Cause" project, there is a parable about a monk, whom he made an agreement with the devil and, of course, lost. He lost already when he started this conversation, because from that moment he no longer controlled the process. It is strange that such a righteous (outwardly) person so lightly put on his shoes on the simplest layout … See for yourself:

Of course, I'm not entirely right that avoiding a pact with the devil is elementary. There are times when you do not even suspect that the agreement has already been concluded … But you think for yourself: why and how it happened.

By the way, another surefire way to lose is simply to think that you won, or simply to consider yourself stronger than any temptation. This is a manifestation of pride. Try to think that you got rid of it - and now, by this very action you succumbed to it.

And here an interesting logical paradox arises … when I wrote this note and said in it that one can easily and simply defeat such a devil … have I already lost with this statement? I will soon find out …