Sometimes, the yetzer hara catches us off guard and quickly convinces us that what we want is the greatest thing ever. He tells us we need this pleasure and can’t be happy without it. Usually, we don’t question our feelings to see whether they are consistent with the truth. But when we do question our impulses and assumptions — after taking a long, slow, deep breath to calm down so we can think clearly — we can see that they are just more lies from the yetzer hara.
One way to question our feelings is to ask ourselves the important question: “and then what?” “Okay, it sounds great, but then what?” Soon, we see that the yetzer hara’s whole charade was built on lies, as usual. The yetzer hara gets us to focus on the pleasure as if it is all that exists. He makes us think everything will be wonderful if we just get what we want. Asking ourselves, “but then what?” helps us focus on the big picture so we don’t chase appealing fantasies that don’t provide what they promise. This question is powerful enough to help when a person is blinded by desire; surely, we will gain immensely if we use it to think about life when we are not being tested. Then when the yetzer hara’s lies start, we won’t be fooled.
The best time for contemplating the downside of desire is before the challenge. During the battle, it is time to swiftly review the truths you have already set in place. Even if you are slipping and your desires are taking over, these thoughts can help you break free if you have put in the work before the test.
The clearer these truths are to you when you are calm, the easier it will be to snap out of the grasp of the yetzer hara. You will naturally think about the right things and regain your focus. Hopefully, you will even be able to calm yourself down and think about your options rationally. You will realize that though a part of you wants it, another part of you — the smarter part — knows that succumbing would be damaging and wrong. Choosing correctly will be easy because you will see how it’s best for you. And it will be easier to use the techniques discussed in Chapters 16-17 because you will be more receptive to those truths.
We gain so much from thinking about the futility of desire and applying it when we are challenged. This makes it much easier to defeat the yetzer hara in the battle of the generation.
Quick Recap: