Website owner: James Miller
The heart of a great deal of virtue is the practice of
exercising restraint. It goes by such names as self-control,
self-discipline, self-denial and self-restraint but the basic
idea is that of exercising restraint in regard to one thing or
another.
Types of behavior involving restraint
- thrift, frugality (restraint with regard to spending
money)
- temperance (restraint with regard to eating or
drinking)
- sexual morality, chastity (restraint in regard to
sex)
- modesty (restraint with respect to dress, behavior
and speech)
- politeness, courtesy (refraining from discourteous
words or acts)
- honesty, integrity (refusing to yield to temptation to
lie, cheat, steal, etc.)
Types of behavior showing lack of restraint
- extravagance, spendthriftiness
- over-eating, gluttony, excessive drinking
- immorality, profligacy, sexual misconduct
- profanity, vulgarity, coarseness
- impoliteness, discourtesy
- dishonesty, lying, cheating, stealing, etc.
What is it that dictates restraints on conduct? Intellect.
Wisdom. Prudence. Conscience. Moral sense. Religious teaching.
How does one exercise restraint? One acts on principle.
Note that when one exercises self-control or restraint one is
reacting to something: temptation. One exercises abstinence or
denial with regard to temptation.
Apr 1991
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