Weakening Vice

Practice Visual

Drawing

Overview

What

Ability to weaken the intensity and frequency of vice

Benefits

Weakening the intensity and frequency of

  • a particular Vice - caused by softening

  • all Vice - caused by disenchantment

Strengthening the habit of Softness

Instructions

  1. Notice or Activate Vice

  2. Disenchant

    1. Notice Disadvantage

    2. Experience Dis-Ease

  3. Soften into the vice

  4. Enchant with Softness

    1. Notice Benefit

    2. Enjoy

Daily Life

Whenever you notice excessive effort, soften into and notice how preferable it feels

Consider

Distinguishing between Constructive Effort & Excessive Effort

  • Some virtues might partially weaken as they are based on constructive effort as softening is able to release all effort - constructive & excessive.

    • External: Thinking about what is most beneficial to say in a conversation

    • Internal: Curiosity towards noticing the benefit in letting go of effort

  • Constructive effort is that which leads to less effort in the future and/or progress towards your values

Simmering > Impatience

  • You cannot force the activation or deactivation of habits

  • You do can create conducive conditions to increase the likelihood of activation or deactivation

  • Create the conducive conditions and allow it to simmer

  • e.g., Softening into Frustration

    • Notice the excessive effort underlying

    • Notice how uncomfortable it feels

    • Release the effort underlying with some softening breaths

    • You may or may not notice the weakening or complete deactivating of the frustration

    • Notice how pleasant and preferable it feels to let go of effort

    • Allow it to simmer

Accelerate via Enchantment & Disenchantment

  • Soften into i.e., releasing the excessive effort is effective in weakening any vice

  • Softening into a virtue is effective in strengthening it

  • However, creating a perception shift within your mind of understanding the benefit of virtues and the disadvantage of vice will accelerate the habit change due to 'parts of the mind' supporting it

Progress

Frequency and Intensity decreases for Vice Ability to Weaken Vice

Acknowledgement

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