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cowlinator t1_j3a4o3k wrote

After I left religion, I completely stopped thinking of my decisions (and how they relate to my lofty goals vs primal drives) in terms of "temptation". It almost feels like a foreign concept to me anymore.

I think about why I'm making a choice, what effect it has, who it might harm/help, and whether it will make me happy. It comes much more naturally, and decisions don't feel like a struggle.

Trying to suppress thoughts or feelings is fruitless, because errant thoughts and desires that run counter to our goals are natural products of any human brain.

Instead, take them as valuable input, and then make your decision. Will you obey the errant thought, or will you proceed with your goal in spite of it? It doesn't matter either way, as long as you're happy with the outcome.

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humbleElitist_ t1_j3a8slh wrote

What do you think about dynamic inconsistency of preferences?

I think that accounts for/describes at least many kinds of what is called “temptations”, though maybe not all.

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cowlinator t1_j3abmqx wrote

I think being more self-aware of them helps us to compensate. But I'm not sure being inconsistent is a problem unless we're talking about a preference for certain ethical principles.

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humbleElitist_ t1_j3apsg6 wrote

Well the problem is that what I’m likely to do in the future is not what I currently want to in-the-future-do , and in the later future not what I will want-to-have-done.

I don’t see how that’s not “a problem”?

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