LUST
Lust is being horny. It is a normal motivation. It is when
you see a really attractive person and want to hold them and make mad,
passionate love to them, to touch their skin and feel the curves of their
body next to yours. Sex is an emotionally powerful thing, and the
consequences of sex (especially pregnancy and love) can lead to both great
joy and great pain. Lust is not sex (sex is fulfilled lust).
Lust is blind to consequences. Being horny is okay but acting on
it often can get you or someone else killed.
2. ENVY
Envy is wishing you had an emotion (my definition). Example:
I see someone waterskiing, and I am envious of the gleeful feeling that
person has. YOU CANNOT ENVY AN OBJECT. Envy is of the people
who use the object. I am not envious of a Corvette, I am envious
of a person who owns a Corvette because I would like the emotions of glee,
power, and speed that come with driving it.
3. GREED
Greed is wishing you had more power over the people around you.
This comes from having money or valuable objects. (Note: wanting
the power of respect is a sin of pride, not of greed.) Greed is wanting
the power to force someone to do what we want. Money is the universal
solvent, enough of it can make anyone do anything. Wisdom is knowing
what your price is. Greed, the obsession with power, can drive out
all positive forces in your life, even if you think your objective is a
just one.
4. PRIDE
Pride is thinking you’re better than you are. Better at what doesn’t
matter. It’s not just misguided overconfidence. It’s thinking
you’re better than God and thus that you’re invincible. This isn’t
bad in small things like your jump shot. It is bad when you cannot
accept your limitations and live within them.
5. GLUTTONY
Gluttony is excessive consumption of something. This usually relates
to eating too much, but broadly speaking it’s any time you use more than
is your right to. This is not greed (desire for power over others).
This is the mistreatment of your own body and the absorption of constantly
doing something. It’s possible to be a glutton in the use of video
games; you’re using the entertainment as brain candy.
6. LAZINESS
Laziness is giving in to the desire to do nothing. Being lazy
can mean avoiding doing something else; whatever the hard thing is that
you want to avoid doing. Resting between your labors is valuable
and in fact demanded by a commandment (Keep the Sabbath Holy / Stop &
Smell the Flowers, God Made ‘em). Taking laziness too far is avoidance
of undesirable tasks (including thinking hard). We grow by doing
challenging things.
7. WRATH
Wrath is wanting to hurt someone. It is not anger, which is normal
and is really frustration and rebellion at being powerless. Wrath
is wanting to cause pain, and being motivated by this to actually cause
pain. A little bit, especially when driving, is okay. Carrying
a weapon and firing at both the stupid and insane people driving near you
isn't okay.
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