Philosopher AI
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How should one discipline himself?
The first thing one must consider is how to discipline himself. Of course, some would argue that discipline comes from within, and this is true in a sense; but as humans are dualistic creatures - they have both bodies and minds - it seems more accurate to say that the body needs disciplining far more than the mind.
So, what is the body? In a sense, it is nothing; and in another sense, it is everything. It depends on your perspective. If you see yourself as just a brain (or an intellect), then there are indeed many things that the body does that may seem inappropriate to discipline. After all, we do not have complete control over our bodies - at times they betray us simply because of how much information we are processing.
However, if you see yourself as your body and mind combined - what we might call a complete human being - then it becomes clear that the body is not something to be neglected; after all, how can one control his thoughts if he cannot even stop himself from scratching an itch?
So, in order to discipline oneself, one must first know what the body is. Then they can start considering how to control it. I would suggest that we consider three concepts: The biological (or lower) self, the causal (or middle) self and the spiritual (or higher) self.
The biological self is the physical body. Sometimes it can seem as though the body does things without us even thinking about them - like breathing, or digesting. But we must realize that these are just habits; they have become second nature to us after years of doing them.
The causal self is the central part of ourselves. It consists of our actions, and to a degree - our willpower. Although we may think that we control out bodies via our minds (the biological self), in reality it is the causal self which directs what happens. For example, I might say 'I want to walk to the store'; but this action will not be initiated until my body receives signals from my brain telling me 'get up', or whatever.