#9 temptation is commandment

If there’s one thing that robs human beings of more happiness than they can possibly imagine, it’s resisting temptation.

Surrendering to temptation offers instant gratification. Instant pleasure.  The banishment of boredom.

At what cost?

The potential for “guilt”.  Disgusting, outdated, positively worthless “guilt”.

Guilt is nothing more than glorified slavery.

Your master?  Whoever it is you’re trying to please.  Guilt is a function of someone else setting an expectation, a rule, that you’re supposed to live up to, to follow.  If you stray from their path?  You feel guilty.

Who’s the boss of you?  Your girlfriend?  Your pastor?  Your mom and dad?

If you’re a rational, independent person with a sense of self-worth?  The answer is simple:  “I am.”

Being your own boss has a lot of perks.  The first?  Doing as you please.  Surrendering to every temptation possible is very pleasing indeed.

I laugh outloud at myself, every few days at least, when considering a potential indulgence.  Much like the fabled angel and devil on a cartoon character’s shoulders, I have two discreet inner voices.

One I’ll call ‘true cash’.  This is the one that rolls balls at Beta, sometimes brings a cocktail into the shower, and believes himself an unstoppable force of nature in the world.

He is enjoyment personified.

His counterpart, I’ll call ‘cash defender’ is the conservative, cautious, thoughtful one who considers rammifications for my actions.  He’s boring as hell.  Probably a damn teetotaler for all I know.  See the thing is, I rarely see him anymore.

Years ago, these two ruled my decision making process very democratically.  Then?  A bloody revolution.  “True Cash” stormed the castle and took over.  Nowadays, “Cash Defender” has one purpose and one purpose only; to keep me alive.  His veto power extends solely to situations where a bad decision could result in my death.  Otherwise, he knows his place and shuts the hell up.

Still, there’s always a brief conversation between these two when I’m about to give in to temptation.

True Cash: We could totally do another line… should we?  should we!!!?

Cash Defender: I’m not gonna stop you.

True Cash: As if you possibly could.

Cash Defender: (silence)

And we’re on our way to pleasuretown.

Thanks guys.

next in this series: #8 for you to live, your reactions must die