From Daybreak, aphorism 109: Self-Control And Moderation, And Their Final Motive. I find not more than six essentially different methods for combating the vehemence of an impulse. First of all, we may avoid the occasion for satisfying the impulse, weakening and mortifying it by refraining from satisfying it for long and ever-lengthening periods. Secondly, we may impose a severe and regular order upon ourselves in regard to the satisfying of our appetites. By thus regulating the impulse and limiting its ebb and flow to fixed periods, we may obtain intervals in which it ceases to disturb us; and by beginning in this way we may perhaps be able to pass on to the first method. In the third place, we may deliberately give ourselves over to an unrestrained and unbounded gratification of the impulse in order that we may become disgusted with it, and to obtain by means of this very disgust a command over the impulse: provided, of course, that we do not imitate the rider who rides his horse to death and breaks his own neck in doing so. For this, unhappily, is generally the outcome of the application of this third method. In the fourth place, there is an intellectual trick, which consists in associating the idea of gratification so firmly with some painful thought, that after a little practice the thought of gratification is itself immediately felt as a very painful one. (For example, when the Christian accustoms himself to think of the presence and scorn of the devil in the course of sensual enjoyment, or everlasting punishment in hell for revenge by murder; or even merely of the contempt which he will meet with from those of his fellow-men whom he most respects, if he steals a sum of money, or if a man has often checked an intense desire for suicide by thinking of the grief and self-reproaches of his relations and friends, and has thus succeeded in balancing himself upon the edge of life: for, after some practice, these ideas follow one another in his mind like cause and effect.) Among instances of this kind may be mentioned the cases of Lord Byron and Napoleon, in whom the pride of man revolted and took offence at the preponderance of one particular passion over the collective attitude and over reason. From this arises the habit and joy of tyrannising over the craving and making it, as it were, gnash its teeth. “I will not be a slave of any appetite,” wrote Byron in his diary. In the fifth place, we may bring about a dislocation of our powers by imposing upon ourselves a particularly difficult and fatiguing task, or by deliberately submitting to some new charm and pleasure in order thus to turn our thoughts and physical powers into other channels. It comes to the same thing if we temporarily favour another impulse by affording it numerous opportunities of gratification, and thus rendering it the squanderer of the power which would otherwise be commandeered, so to speak, by the tyrannical impulse. A few, perhaps, will be able to restrain the particular passion which aspires to domination by granting their other known passions a temporary encouragement and license in order that they may devour the food which the tyrant wishes for himself alone. In the sixth and last place, the man who can stand it, and thinks it reasonable to weaken and subdue his entire physical and psychical organisation, likewise, of course, attains the goal of weakening a single violent instinct; as, for example, those who starve their sensuality and at the same time their vigour, and often destroy their reason into the bargain, such as the ascetics. Hence, shunning the opportunities, regulating the impulse, bringing about satiety and disgust in the impulse, associating a painful idea (such as that of discredit, disgust, or offended pride), then the dislocation of one’s forces, and finally general debility and exhaustion: these are the six methods. But the will to combat the violence of a craving is beyond our power, equally with the method we adopt and the success we may have in applying it. In all this process our intellect is rather merely the blind instrument of another rival craving, whether it be the impulse to repose, or the fear of disgrace and other evil consequences, or love. While “we” thus imagine that we are complaining of another, i.e. the perception of the violent suffering which is being caused us presupposes that there is another equally or more violent impulse, and that a struggle is impending in which our intellect must take part.
Wow, what beautiful concordant English, people don't write like this anymore. Of course, all 6 points are perfectly relatable; any man who has regularly fought an "impulse" has likely defined these methods himself. What most interests me is the conclusion which asserts that the practice of methodically combating impulses by way of intellect is itself indicative of an inept understanding of one's own impulses and a soon-to-come failure to resist that specific impulse which is being resisted intillectually.
I don't think the claim here is that this process is destined to fail. But that our perceived intellectual reasons for engaging in the struggle are mere ex-post rationalization of what in reality is just a product of a different competing impulse.
Yes, but he implies that there would be no intellectual conceptualization or methodology in the first place if there were no failure to resist temptation. I think hes saying that methodologies are not efficient in resisting temptation, meaning that knowledge/wisdom of ourselves (and our rival cravings) is the best way. Personal realization is difficult to achieve and accept (we don't like the answers we find), so we settle for studying ourselves intellectually e.g. writing out many observed methods. If we were to understand the hidden impulse that makes us want to rationalize in response to a known secondary temptation, that understanding would be much more effective in preventing the secondary impulse than using specific methods authored by the primary impulse to prevent the secondary impulse. If all he wanted to say was that internationalization of impulse control is simply a product of a different impulse, would he mention this confusing idea of a second craving in the first place? Its almost the same as saying nothing at all: "the desire to intellectualize is separate from the desire to resist a certain temptation." But also, its Nietzsche, so getting in the middle of his cyclical arguments isn't quite a good use of time because they never lead anywhere except to themselves, classic. You know, I think he probably struggled with the temptation of intellect and rationalization more than anything else. I learned how to turn off my philosophy brain when I want, but he just couldn't I guess, and it drove him mad to need to rationalize every single thing. He probably couldn't even wipe his ass without theorizing about its significance in some way. And you know what makes a philosopher the most depressed? When he can't find a flaw in his logic, but his reasoning leads him no where. If reasoning leads to death, that's a bummer, but at least you can relish in the fact that you're certain you should die. If reasoning leads to life, all the better, you can be certain to keep living. But if reasoning leads nowhere, to nothing, to inaction, to neither life nor death, to complete stillness... oh that gives me chills. Normally there is supposed to be a conclusion, but not with Nietzsche, just solid argument after solid argument but nothing learned except how to better make a solid argument (insanity).
fasting is the best way to actually control sexual impulses high carb diets actually stimulate testosterone and the umstable nature of sugar and insulin your body is always in a hyperactive state processing and rhey stimulate hormones when you fast your testosterone levels drop . they raise again when you eat. but intermittent fasting which is probably how alot of people actually ate back then probably made a significant difference to impulse control now a days were are plugged with sugars carbs and fats in high levels our impulses have begun as an attempt to escape impulses . fasting or intermittent fasting helps alot with impulse control just saying G
