Temptation

“Open chests tempt even the righteous.”

Hindustani proverb

The topic for today is temptation, and even though I was tempted to start this topic with Oscar Wilde’s insights, I will rather start with a short verse by the 19^th-century English poet and playwright, Robert Browning:

Why comes temptation but for man to meet

And master and make crouch beneath his foot,

And so be pedestalled in triumph?

Indeed, why does it? Why is temptation so tempting? Now, to get to Oscar Wilde. He had something to say about temptation and the struggle to come to terms with it. In the 2^nd act of his play, “An Ideal Husband”, Sir Robert Chiltern (the play’s tragic hero) asked: 

“Do you really think, Arthur, that it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations that it requires strength, strength and courage, to yield to.” 

I made this in bold for a reason, because it surely requires strength, and not always weakness, to give into temptation. In another work of Oscar Wilde, this time a Philosophical fiction named “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, Wilde wrote that the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. He mockingly even say that he could resist everything except temptation itself. Should we give in to temptation or withstand it? I think that a clear-cut answer cannot be given because that will depend on the content of the temptation. I think that few will agree that we should yield to it, most readers will say that we should withstand it. Do you really? That cold beer or thick piece of cake in the refrigerator? That extra helping of pizza? Temptation may come to us in many ways, the point is that in whichever way it comes, we must apply a good spoonful of rationality before either resisting or yielding to it. You may be tempted to swear at a reckless driver, or waste scarce funds on something you don’t need, or break someone’s trust through gossiping! The point to be made is this: you will be tempted today, tomorrow and every other day to act in a certain way that you may not wish to act. Just think before you act, that will decide whether you yield to or resist any temptation. if, however, you are tempted to follow my blog, then do indeed yield!

Temptation, you are so sly, by far.
In gay colours you come, just to deceive.

 Yet, I ask of you, please do leave

and go away, to some distant star.

Picture source