The War Within

To sublate contradictions in cognition and behaviour, is to dialectically generate the harmony necessary for psychological well-being. There is nothing more dangerous for a rational animal than to be at odds with their very own existence. To assert something one moment and do the opposite the next, is to be at war with yourself and creates all sorts of unnecessary internal angst. Cognitive dissonance is a malady that can very easily lead to suicide when taken to the extreme. It is incredibly demeaning to be enslaved to one's passions. Especially in comparison to somebody who is not. The only practical cure for this dilemma is to critically analyse the contents of one's consciousness, and to consistently apply the subsequent insight that results. If you know an activity you participate in is self-destructive, then you ought to amend that fact and change your approach. But as most of us know, it's not as simple as sheer willpower and determination. The actual shift that takes place is a re-evaluation of the seemingly desirable activity or object. You simply cannot eliminate desire with desire. That would be paradoxical. You can however choose to prioritise and develop healthier habits in place of the more pathological ones. And what exactly constitutes a healthy habit? Essentially, it is a pattern of behaviour that brings long term benefit independent of external conditions. In other words, it's the kind of pleasure that lasts persistently and remains reliably available. This entails the virtue of moderation, also known as the ascetic lifestyle. Although not as immediately pleasurable as gratification of one's base impulses, the satisfaction of contentment is the only logical way to comfortably endure the inherent unsatisfactoriness of empirical flux. Once you truly understand that constant change negates the possibility of finding lasting reliable pleasure in phenomena, the allure of self-sabotage is lost and desire inevitably withers away. Thus, contradictory thoughts and actions end where knowledge begins. Life need not be embroiled with internal conflict, and although it may seem otherwise; there is indeed a preferable alternative. With the enlightened intellect as the guiding principle of the psyche, one can turn away from inherently short-sighted pursuits and live a sustainable life of virtue. Detached from the usual distractions of the world, one is freed from the irrational constraints that occupy and subjugate the majority of human beings. This type of psychological freedom is the efficient cause of real substantial happiness; which is the teleological purpose of human nature. It is sufficiently valuable in itself without serving any instrumental function. It is the summum bonum. The highest good. So why wait until tomorrow to fix what can be done today? If it's always delayed, then it will never be now. Important to keep in mind.