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According to ancient Greek philosopher 
Plato, self-discipline is about using  

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your reasoning capacities, thinking things 
through, and relying on your inner strength,  

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your willpower. He once shared a story 
in a talk called Phaedrus. In this story,  

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Plato creates an allegory to explain what 
he saw as the three core components of the  

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human soul - The chariot driver, and the 
two, winged horses pulling the chariot. 

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The first horse is described as ”upright and 
cleanly made; has a lofty neck and an aquiline  

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nose; his color is white, and his eyes dark; he 
is a lover of honor and modesty and temperance”. 

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The second horse, though, is the opposite - Plato 
describing him as “a crooked lumbering animal,  

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put together anyhow; he has a short thick 
neck; he is flat-faced and of a dark color,  

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with grey eyes and blood-red complexion; 
the mate of insolence and pride”

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The driver's job is to somehow guide 
these two, opposing horses to a special,  

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heavenly place and get the chariot 
moving in the right direction.

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So what are the three components of 
the human soul according to Plato,  

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and how do they fit into this story?
The first one is the Reason or Logos:  

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It's like the charioteer, guiding 
us to make good choices. This is  

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the rational and intellectual part linked to 
thinking, wisdom, and the pursuit of truth. 

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The second one is the Spirit or Thumos: 
Like the white horse, it's associated with  

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the chest or heart region, encompassing emotions, 
courage, and the drive for honor and recognition. 

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And the third one is Appetite or Epithumia: Linked 
to the belly, it's like the black horse. This part  

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represents our desires and appetites, including 
those for food, drink, and physical pleasure. 

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Plato argues that a well-ordered soul 
is one in which reason is in control,  

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with spirit supporting reason, and appetite 
following their guidance. In an individual,  

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the balance and harmony of these three parts 
determines moral character and the ability to  

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lead a disciplined life. Plato's philosophical 
system is known as 'Platonic idealism,’ and in  

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this video, we will delve into mastering the 
art of self-discipline according to Plato. 

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And with all that done, let’s explore the art 
of self-discipline, from the wisdom of Plato.

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1. Practice the art of measurement
Plato says “Pleasure is the  

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greatest incentive to evil”
According to Plato, our soul is not disciplined  

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when we put the Appetite part of the soul in 
charge instead of reason, and we end up making  

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bad choices. Imagine a situation where you have 
to decide whether to have another drink or not.  

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If you let your appetite take control - in this 
case your strong desire for the immediate pleasure  

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of consuming alcohol - instead of reason - like 
considering how you’ll feel in the morning - you  

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might end up making a bad choice. According 
to Plato, this happens when our soul isn't  

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disciplined, and we prioritize short-term pleasure 
over making sensible decisions for our well-being.  

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But here's the important part: each part of our 
soul is real and important. While it's true that  

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wanting immediate pleasures can be harmful, 
we can't just ignore those feelings either. 

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One of the main definitions that Plato gives to 
these mere pleasures are “deceivers” because they  

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make us see things not as they really are but in 
a way that may not be good for us. Think about  

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when you see something flashy or attractive, like 
a colorful book cover, or eye-catching YouTube ad.  

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Sometimes, just because it looks nice, you might 
suddenly want it without really thinking. Plato  

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said these desires are like optical illusions 
- things that look good but don't really mean  

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anything. Our life is filled with such illusions 
or trickery. Like wanting tasty food, drinks, or  

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wanting to be powerful or famous - these desires 
never seem to be satisfied. Living a life only  

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focused on immediate pleasures may feel good for a 
short time, but it can't bring lasting happiness. 

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Plato suggests a way to deal with the trickiness 
of quick pleasures, which he calls the "art of  

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measurement." This philosophical approach 
encourages us to think carefully about what  

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we really want. Instead of quickly going after 
things that make us happy for a little while,  

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Plato says we should measure our goals against 
what will make us happy in the long run. To  

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do this, we need to think about what we want and 
pick actions that will bring us lasting happiness.

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As an example that will resonate with many of 
us just after the holiday season, there’s a good  

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chance if you’re anything like me, you’ve been 
rather over-indulging on the snacks and junk-food,  

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which is fun for a short time, but we know it’s 
bad for our health in the long-term. However,  

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denying momentary pleasure for the greater good of 
our overall health can be pretty hard to achieve,  

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despite our best intentions. Plato’s “Art of 
Measurement” would tell us that in order to break  

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that cycle we need to force ourselves to pause for 
a moment between desiring something and acting on  

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that desire. And in that pause, we should consider 
our long term goals, such as wanting to be healthy  

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and happy, and whether the action of eating 
that junk food will impact that. The truth is  

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if in that moment of consideration you realize 
that momentary pleasure will not only negatively  

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impact your physical health, but also result in 
a potentially longer period of guilt, as well,  

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then it doesn’t align with your larger goals, and 
probably isn’t worth doing in the first place. 

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But Plato's "Art of Measurement" isn't just for 
deciding what to eat—it can help make many parts  

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of your life better. For example, when you feel 
really strong emotions, instead of just reacting  

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right away, you can take a moment to think 
about how your reaction might affect your  

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relationships and how you feel overall. This is 
using the "art of measurement" for your emotional  

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responses. But it’s not just about negativity and 
restriction! When you spend time with your family,  

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you can use this idea to think about how to 
make that time more special. Instead of just  

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doing things without really thinking, you can 
measure if the time you spend with your family  

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is making your relationships stronger. The 
more you practice the "art of measurement,"  

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the better you become at making thoughtful 
and wise decisions in various aspects of life. 

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2. Don't be a victim
According to Plato "For a man to conquer himself  

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is the first and noblest of all victories."
We might often realize there are areas where  

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we struggle to fully control our actions, 
desires, or thoughts. Sometimes, it's easier  

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to let circumstances, or other people, or our 
own passions take the lead. You might think that  

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you’re powerless in the face of circumstances. 
For Plato, this idea is simply wrong, and unjust  

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to our human dignity. According to him, we need to 
realize our potential and understand that we can  

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manage our own lives. It might seem unrealistic 
due to social, financial, or bodily limitations,  

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but you still have the freedom to express your 
will. Despite these limitations, you can actively  

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transform your life instead of being a victim.
Think about it this way: imagine wanting a total  

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transformation of your body into the shape of 
supermodels or bodybuilding legends. You know you  

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have limitations based on your body constitution, 
and this mental project might seem unrealistic.  

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People have different body types—some lean, some 
inclined to excess weight. Even years of exercise  

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can't change the basic limitations of your body. 
But here's the crucial part: it doesn't mean your  

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will is powerless. Embracing the limits of your 
growth, you can improve yourself every day with  

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consistent practice and a strong will to overcome 
challenges. Yes, some limits can't be fully  

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overcome, and we must face their harsh reality. 
Even if you can't achieve someone else's results,  

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like say Arnold Schwarzenegger, you can achieve 
your personal best and create the best version  

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of yourself. The key is recognizing and embracing 
your own will and striving to make it a reality. 

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And you don’t have to aim for the huge 
changes right away! Even simple things,  

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like making a daily schedule or waking up a bit 
earlier, can help you cement your willpower into  

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your everyday life. The inner will, in this 
context, implies a deeper sense of purpose  

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or a commitment to higher ideals that guides the 
reason part of the soul in making decisions that  

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contribute to the well-being of the individual.
It's all about taking small steps to make yourself  

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better and more in control of your own life. 
Self-discipline means being in control of your  

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actions instead of just reacting to whatever 
you feel like doing in the moment. It's like  

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steering your inner self, your soul, towards 
doing things that are actually good for you.

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3. Actively seek knowledge
In the words of Plato “Knowledge  

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becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous.”
According to Plato, doing good and making right  

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choices is called virtue. He sees virtue as a 
leader in charge of the rational part of the soul,  

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which as we mentioned, is in charge of the spirit 
and appetite. When people actively seek knowledge  

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about living a good and just life, they're 
nurturing this rational aspect of their soul. So,  

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when we try to be a good person, our 
brain uses what it knows to help us  

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make choices that are morally right and fair.
Acquiring knowledge and virtues, according to  

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Plato's philosophy, involves a purposeful and 
ongoing process of learning and self-reflection.  

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Begin by engaging with literature, whether 
books or articles, that explores ethical  

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principles and virtues, focusing on stories and 
examples that highlight qualities like honesty,  

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kindness, courage, and wisdom. Actively seek out 
wise individuals in your community or through  

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various platforms, listening to their experiences 
and insights to gain valuable lessons on leading a  

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good life. Ask questions, whether in conversations 
or online forums, it is a powerful way to deepen  

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your understanding of ethical concepts. You can 
take advantage of educational resources, such as  

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online courses or community programs, that focus 
on philosophy, ethics, or personal development. 

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Another crucial step is reflecting on personal 
experiences. Consider instances in your life  

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where virtues were demonstrated or ethical 
dilemmas were faced. To put this into practice,  

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set aside some time each evening to contemplate 
your actions, thoughts and emotions. This will  

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allow you to assess whether they align with your 
values and the virtues you aim to uphold. These  

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reflections offer insights into those 
values and areas for personal growth. 

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You can also engage in discussions with friends, 
family, or peers about moral and ethical topics.  

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This will broaden your perspective and refine 
your values through comparison with different  

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viewpoints. Acquiring knowledge and virtues 
is a lifelong journey. To make it work,  

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you need to stay open to learning, stay 
curious, and actually use what you find  

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out to become a nicer and more virtuous person 
as you go along. Self-discipline is like having  

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a map that helps you stay on track in this 
journey of always trying to improve yourself! 

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If you enjoyed this video, please make 
sure to check out our full philosophies  

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help you find success and happiness using  

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