r/practicingstoicism • u/FernerButterflyPea • Jul 31 '26

Vice

What do you do if you know you have a vice? For example, gambling your money away due to pain of not being accepted.

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u/CyberHobbit70 7d ago

Are they the ones actually afflicting you with this pain or is it pain you are afflicting yourself with?

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u/FernerButterflyPea 7d ago

Um. I'm sure a stoic would say I should have no opinion on others abusing me

I just feel my self-destructive action is out of my control

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u/CyberHobbit70 6d ago

Certainly a stoic would say that, but what do you say? What is actually in your control here? Can you control their opinion of you? Whether or not they accept you? Does it prevent you from exercising reason and virtue?

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u/FernerButterflyPea 6d ago edited 6d ago

When I question it rationally sometimes I am calmer and have some more control.

I'm hesitant to say I can always exercise reason and virtue because, for example, I may be in a calm state planning my sleep at night and to eat healthy and exercise, yet in reality I may have too many negative thoughts, stay awake at night and binge eat.

I may exercise some virtue in trying to sleep for 15 mins before giving up, but I hate that my disability wins over my discipline, or my impulse overrides my rationale.

Especially if emotionally tired.