W. Clement Stone Quotes

It's easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.

Here's a rule I recommend: Never practice two vices at once.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to slip back into bad habits.

Temptations come, as a general rule, when they are sought.

I wish I didn't like sweets as much as I do. I wish I didn't get carried away sometimes.

Obedience brings peace in decision making. If we have firmly made up our minds to follow the commandments, we will not have to redecide which path to take when temptation comes our way.

It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.

Good habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life. Too many of us divide and dissipate our energies in debating actions which should be taken for granted.

Protect me from what I want.

I adapt to things quickly, including good things, which I wish I could shut off sometimes.

I have a very addictive personality, so I'm even careful about wanting more of anything than I need - even chocolate.

I'm the worst ad anyone could possibly be for abstaining from anything.

Lead me not into temptation; I can find the way myself.

We're all going to be victims of temptation at several points in our lives.

Those who restrain their desires, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.

We are never like angels till our passion dies.

I value self-discipline, but creating systems that make it next to impossible to misbehave is more reliable than self-control.

Temptation's something you have to deal with even if you're not famous. It's harder when you're famous because it's a lot more in your face, and that makes it a little more difficult to walk away from sometimes.

We say no to lots of things that would please us. I would like to punch people every now and then, but I don't. I would like to have something for free rather than pay for it. I would like to skip to the front of the line... I don't mean to brush aside the taste of meat, which is a powerful attraction. But its power is not without limit.

What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely.

There are times when external circumstances can overwhelm us, and we do things we never thought. If you're not aware that this can happen, you can be seduced by evil. We need inoculations against our own potential for evil. We have to acknowledge it. Then we can change it.

Hunger and self-control do not go hand in hand.

Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it.

The experiments show quite clearly that, as you resist more and more temptation, you're actually more and more likely to fail.

It is much easier to suppress a first desire than to satisfy those that follow.