A lack of self-control can easily lead to a person’s undoing. I explored this issue when I wrote about Darth Vader and his lack of self-control. The importance of self-control cannot be overstated. Those who have it are likelier to reach their goals than those who do not. Yet it is easy to lose sight of the need for self-control as we go about our daily lives. What I have gathered here in this post is a selection of quotes on self-control that you can reflect upon when you need it.
Quotes on Self-Control
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.
The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time you feel you must say something or bust.
Not to have control over the senses is like sailing in a rudderless ship, bound to break to pieces on coming in contact with the very first rock.
We improve ourselves by victories over ourselves. There must be contest and we must win.
Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.
He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.
Such power there is in clear-eyed self-restraint.
–James Russell Lowell
He who cannot obey himself will be commanded. That is the nature of living creatures.
There never has been, and cannot be, a good life without self-control.
–Count Leo Tolstoy
The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.
A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find of governing it well.
–Louisa May Alcott
He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.
The first and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and objectionable.