Self-restraint

I came across a quote that Walter Mosley included in an article he wrote recently that I thought was an important bit to keep in mind: “Self-restraint is what makes it possible for society to exist.”

I certainly see the opposite all too frequently in my line of work. I frequently see loss or lack of self-restraint in homicides (reckless or intentional), in crashes, with folks making bad choices and/or taking chances, in cases of abuse, on and on.

Self-restraint is a critically important “skill” to acquire, but some never do, some lose it temporarily, and some set it aside never to “bother” with it again. Self-restraint doesn’t mean you don’t have the thoughts that a few others act on, but that you are able to separate the thought from the action and not partake in the action.

I hope to impart the ability for self-restraint to my children. I’m not all together clear on exactly how to do that other than repetitive talks and modeling behavior, but so far it does seem to be working. I plan on continuing with my self-restraint, at least as is socially relevant and acceptable. I hope that others who could impact my life also maintain their self-restraint, so that their loss or lack of self-restraint doesn’t affect me or “mine”, as I have seen it affect others.