Self-control Quotes
Most popular self-control quotes
No man is free who cannot command himself.
Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.
No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.
The discipline of desire is the backbone of character.
Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire.
Self-discipline is the free man's yoke. Either he is his own master or he will be his own slave—not merely as slave to his passions, as an earlier generation might have feared, but a slave to his unbounded ego.
I cannot conceive of a good life which isn't, in some sense, a self-disciplined life.
In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves and their carnal urges. Self-discipline with all of them came first.
There never has been, and cannot be, a good life without self-control. Apart from self-control, no good life is imaginable. The attainment of goodness must begin with that.
He who reigns within himself, and rules Passions, desires, and fears, is more than a king.
Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself.
A little kingdom I possess, Where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find Of governing it well.
It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control.
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control.
I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself.
If, in a word, it be in our power to do what is noble and what is disgraceful, it is equally in our power not to do it.
No man is such a conqueror as the man who has defeated himself.
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Strict exercise of self-control is an essential feature of the Christian's life.
Nothing ever really sets human nature free, but self-control.
Prudent, cautious self-control Is wisdom's root.
Is there no danger of our self-control degenerating into tyranny? A man may lay severe rules on himself as truly as another may.
The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our own thoughts.
You can have neither a greater nor a less dominion than over yourself.
As far as your self-control goes, as far goes your freedom.
Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.
Everything that frees our spirit without giving us control of ourselves is ruinous.
Self-control, in every station and to every individual, is indispensable, if people would retain that equanimity of mind, which, depending on self-respect, is the essential of contentment and happiness.
Self-discipline without talent can often achieve astounding results, whereas talent without self-discipline inevitably dooms itself to failure.
Discipline comes through self-control. If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self. You may see at one and the same time both your best friend and your greatest enemy, by stepping in front of a mirror.
The control of our being is not unlike the combination of a safe. One turn of the know rarely unlocks the safe. Each advance and retreat is a step toward one's goal.
Rule your mind, which, if it is not your servant, is your master.
He who overcomes others is strong, but he who overcomes himself is mightier still.
The middle gear of any man is self-discipline.
I cannot consent to place in the control of others one who cannot control himself.
Such power there is in clear-eyed self-restraint.
Self-control is at the root of all the virtues. Let a man yield to his impulses and passions, and from that moment he gives up his moral freedom.
He that would govern others, first should be The master of himself.
Self-control might be as passionate and as active as the surrender to passion.
The success of life, the formation of character, is in proportion to the courage one has to say to one's ownself: "Thou shalt not."
The poorest education that teaches self-control is better than the best that neglects it.
He who cannot obey himself will be commanded. That is the nature of living creatures.
It is a new road to happiness, if you have strength enough to castigate a little the various impulses that sway you in turn.
Man who man would be, Must rule the empire of himself.
A little self-control at the right moment may prevent much subsequent compulsion at the hands of others.
What now is the most important attribute of man as a moral being? May we not answer—the faculty of self-control? This it is which forms a chief distinction between the human being and the brute.
Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control, These three alone lead life to sovereign power.
Who has a fiercer struggle than he who strives to conquer himself?
Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage.
I have observed that those who have accomplished the greatest results are those...who never grow excited or lose self-control, but are always calm, self-possessed, patient, and polite.
There is no liberty, save wisdom and self-control. Liberty is within—not without. It is each man's own affair.
A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure.
Man's many desires are like the small metal coins he carries about in his pocket. The more he has the more they weigh him down.
Stop allowing your mind to be a slave, to be jerked about by selfish impulses, to kick against fate and the present, and to mistrust the future.
To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.
Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.
The power of man has grown in every sphere, except over himself.
Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility, and commitment.
The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.
