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About this quote

What does it mean?
Self-control is essential for a meaningful life. Without it, humans lack direction.
In plain terms
You need discipline to live well.
What can you take from it?
Practice self-restraint daily.

Where it applies

  • personal growth
  • daily habits

Putting it to work

  • build routines
  • avoid impulse

Questions to consider

  • Where do you struggle with restraint?
  • Is total control desirable?

Another view

Some argue spontaneity is also vital for creativity.

More from Isaac Bashevis Singer

  1. Kindness, I've discovered, is everything in life.

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  2. Originality is not seen in single words or even in sentences. Originality is the sum total of a man's thinking or his writing.

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  3. It seems that the analysis of character is the highest human entertainment. And literature does it, unlike gossip, without mentioning real names.

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