The brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but his pleasures.

As we look at this wise quote from Democritus, we should immediate relate it to discipline. Nobody wants to tell you why discipline is so important. Discipline is the strongest form of one of the 7 loves, which is self-love. It is ignoring current pleasures for bigger rewards to come. It’s loving yourself enough to give yourself everything you’ve ever wanted.

The brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but his pleasures.

Democritus

Democritus, a philosopher from ancient Greece, lived approximately between 460 BCE and 370 BCE. He was born in Abdera, Thrace, and was a younger contemporary of Socrates. Democritus is most renowned for his atomic theory of the universe, which he developed alongside his mentor Leucippus in the 5th century BCE.

According to Democritus, all material objects are composed of atoms, which are unchangeable, indestructible, and eternal.

He coined the term “atomos,” meaning “indivisible” in Greek, after contemplating the outcome of continuously dividing a piece of matter until it could no longer be split. This term is the origin of the modern word “atom.”