Each of us daily faces a fierce battle between lofty spiritual aspirations and strong bodily desires.

Internal Struggles: The Quest for Self-Control

Each of us daily faces a fierce battle between lofty spiritual aspirations and strong bodily desires. In this conflict, our soul demands constant attention and self-discipline, for vices often prevail, acting almost automatically, while virtue requires relentless and painstaking effort. Even years of education and solid theoretical knowledge do not shield us from the influence of basic instincts, as our behavior is often driven by the need to satisfy primary physiological desires rather than a pursuit of spiritual growth.

To overcome our passions, it is essential to engage in continuous self-improvement, not only by controlling our actions but also by managing our thoughts and emotions. This requires courage, constant self-observation, and determination to resist inner weaknesses. Despite the numerous challenges and difficulties along the path of self-perfection, it is through battling our inner demons that we gain the strength and the opportunity to pursue true development.

Thus, despite the seemingly inevitable dominance of instincts, our capacity for self-analysis and conscious choice becomes the key to overcoming base passions. Only the relentless pursuit of inner equilibrium and the continuous development of the spirit will allow us to achieve harmony between the aspiration for the ideal and the grounded reality of human nature.

Why do many people struggle to control their base passions and needs?

Many people are unable to control their base passions and needs because there is an ongoing internal struggle between spiritual aspirations and instinctual, physical desires. One reason is that in a human being "the flesh predominates over the spirit, passions dominate over reason," and the battle between these elements is such that virtue requires enormous effort and constant self-discipline, while vices take over quickly and almost effortlessly. As noted in one of the sources:
"An observant person cannot fail to acknowledge the following facts: a) within us there is a constant battle between the spirit and the flesh, between reason and passions, between the drive towards good and the attraction to evil; b) in this struggle, victory almost always goes to the latter..." (source: link txt).

Furthermore, it is noted that even a high level of education and literacy does not guarantee control over basic desires, since a person's behavior is often determined by "the satisfaction of physiological needs" rather than the aspiration toward something higher. It is stated:
"It should be noted that such behavior does not depend on the level of literacy and education of a person. He may have two, or even three higher educations, yet still live according to the laws of the flesh..." (source: link txt).

It is also emphasized that in order to conquer passions, constant attention to one’s soul and self-monitoring is required, for without such internal control, passions may "break loose" and lead to destructive consequences. For example, one text states:
"To overcome passions at their very root, constant attention to one's soul is required, along with control not only of one's actions but also of one’s thoughts and feelings..." (source: link txt).

Thus, difficulties in controlling base passions and needs arise from the internal conflict between high aspirations and natural tendencies in a person, with the latter requiring much less effort to establish and often overpowering noble intentions. This explains why, for most people, achieving consistent self-control is such a challenging and ongoing process.

Supporting citation(s):
"An observant person cannot fail to acknowledge the following facts: a) within us there is a constant battle between the spirit and the flesh, between reason and passions, between the drive towards good and the attraction to evil; b) in this struggle, victory almost always goes to the latter..." (source: link txt)

"It should be noted that such behavior does not depend on the level of literacy and education of a person. He may have two, or even three higher educations, yet still live according to the laws of the flesh..." (source: link txt)

"To overcome passions at their very root, constant attention to one's soul is required, along with control not only of one's actions but also of one’s thoughts and feelings..." (source: link txt)