How do you control your desires?

[LED Dasher 228]

Everyone has desires, and those could include power, greed, sex, and fame. I control my desires by keeing myself busy, playing, and studying, and watching shows. How do you control your desires and impulses? I know this might be a sensitive topic, so I hope you don't feel embarassed by it.

Edited November 8, 2013 by LED Dasher

[Scootalove 10,692]

I control my desires by staying focused on the task at hand, because if I get distracted I won't be able to focus on what I want in life the most.

[vanished 46]

I give my self a mental slap in the face, I realize what I'm doing wrong and stop all further thoughts by yelling at my self in the mind and focus on what I need to do.

 

I procrastinate a lot so I usually return to work instantly after that

[Malinter 3,064]

 I control my desires by keeping myself busy, playing, and studying, and watching shows. 

 

That's pretty much the universally accepted way of doing it. Its why sex crimes weren't such a problem before because everyone had to work there asses off because if they didn't they would no food, starve and die. No time for sex and sure as hell couldn't afford to raise more than 1-2 children if they even could at all.

[LED Dasher 228]

That's pretty much the universally accepted way of doing it. Its why sex crimes weren't such a problem before because everyone had to work there asses off because if they didn't they would no food, starve and die. No time for sex and sure as hell couldn't afford to raise more than 1-2 children if they even could at all.

 

Sex crimes have been happening for centuries. With all the mass media these days, people are just more aware of them happening. That being said, it seems like the easiest way to control desires is to remain distracted from them.

[Demirari 454]

I distract myself from those *coughs* dark urges by doing something I enjoy to do. Such as writing, reading, drawing, watching, and playing.

[Malinter 3,064]

Sex crimes have been happening for centuries. With all the mass media these days, people are just more aware of them happening. That being said, it seems like the easiest way to control desires is to remain distracted from them.

But they didn't start becoming like they are now until the victorian era as machines started coming in and making work easier. Also erotic books and pornography for the masses started at this time too with printing machines coming into existance. We never started hearing about Sex killers until  about the time Jack the Ripper appeared.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Malinter

[GhostPony750 959]

Well, I'm naturally not materialist, not greedy, don't care about following or leading. So I guess my desires are easily forgotten.

 

Usually, my only desire is to be alone, which is quite hard to repress.

[Harmonic Revelations 8,837]

To put it simply, I don't. Mainly because my desires are not inherently evil or greedy or anything so I don't have a reason to suppress them. I'm generally a naturally moral person.

[Troblems 5,622]

I eat chocolate secretly in my closet in the dark and cry.

 

I'm recently married, so my sexual desires are in check. Ask me again in a few years.

[Koelath 445]

There are things in this world that I want.

 

What exactly needs to be controlled about that? Desire isn't some rampant force of destruction, as much as various religions and weirdo cults might paint it as such.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Koelath

[Fluttershyfan94 5,749]

I have a lot of desires, I think I control them simply by not thinking about them. Though I don't really control them that much, my desires are really just to have a few cars and that's pretty much it. I don't really need to control my desires, I'm a bit of an asexual at times so I don't feel desire for sex, I only need enough money so I can do what I like, so that's nothing excessive. I do not want fame, I do want power but that's only if I feel like I can contribute. All I desire are a couple of beautiful cars, nice home, special somepony and a healthy family, so I don't really need to control my desires. Though I have one that's different from the others, that is I desire respect as well.

 

Though at the moment my only desires are cars.

[Shanks 10,817]

That's pretty much the universally accepted way of doing it. Its why sex crimes weren't such a problem before because everyone had to work there asses off because if they didn't they would no food, starve and die. No time for sex and sure as hell couldn't afford to raise more than 1-2 children if they even could at all.

While I am not afraid of hard work and sacrifice that kind of life sounds like a living hell and the no time for sex thing sure wouldn't help me I know that much. I struggled during my teen years to keep my temper in check and one of the main things that kept me from going to prison for assault or even murder was the fact that I took matters into my own hands if you know what I mean. Learning to keep a healthy middle ground was difficult though but well worth it for the sake of my own sanity and well being, you really need to study up on your history because the ancient Greeks and Romans were in many ways even more deviant than we are today. A hard core sex criminal will if they are determined enough find a way anyway, so it is kind of silly to blame porn on that.

 

I suppose to answer the OP I control my urges by indulging in them in ways that do not harm myself or others but not so much to where they dominate my entire life. The two most difficult desires for me are sex and food, I had the sex one under control but am still trying to get the food one under control as I often eat way too much when I am upset or bored.

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

I have good control over my desires. Sometimes too good. I feel as though I sometimes hold myself back from doing things that I probably shouldn't. It can be helpful, but sometimes, it can also be problematic. I don't really have a method for it, aside from will power.

[Lucky Bolt 35,226]

Depends on what desire we're talkin about here.  For most part though....I tend to have fairly good self control especially if I keep myself busy and focused on other things.

[Here No Longer 5,286]

If you mean, well, those, by sating them of course, when they come around. Oh trust me, if I don't they take over my mind like a virus, and you DON'T want that. If it gets too bad, I get REALLY disgusting, I'll say that.  (Yes, I have... problems in that area... )

 

If you mean just for things I want, well, I just don't really have much of a problem doing that. Only thing that props up is "I need a..."

Edited November 28, 2019 by Ayyngel Dust

[Splashee 28,596]

So many desires, and really bad self control here! I am not going to lie.

[TBD 17,272]

A desire to do this to imbeciles? 

*inhale.. boi. 
 

[Dreambiscuit 11,198]

The only way that seems to work for me is to analyze everything and boil it down to basic raw elements that I can study and determine why they affect me the way they do. If I can look at a problem logically I can fight it with logic. It doesn’t always work, but it’s better for me than just gritting my teeth and sweating it out.  

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,676]

Being sober definitely helps >.>

Metacognition seems to work. The problem with this approach is that you have to remember to do it and it requires quite a bit of concentration throughout.

Metacognition is about being aware and observing your thoughts and impulses like an impartial observer.

 

[Sherem 4,809]

I let them float into my imagination, and when that happens I convince myself they are not possible that they happen

[EpicEnergy 23,245]

Normally, I try to distract myself and get myself busy, but it depends on what desire and how I'm feeling that day.