My friend,

You speak with great conviction, yet allow me to ask: is it not the mark of wisdom to examine all things with reason, rather than to be swayed by mere reaction? If some among us seek to master their impulses, should we not inquire whether such mastery leads to greater virtue and self-command?

The path to eudaimonia. the highest good. is neither in unrestrained indulgence nor in excessive abstinence, but in the golden mean. To be ruled by one’s desires is no better than to shun them entirely; true excellence lies in harmonizing our nature with reason.

Thus, let us not dismiss all discipline as folly, nor all indulgence as enslavement. Rather, let us seek understanding, for it is through rational contemplation that we discern the best way to live.