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Question Title Posted By Question Date
Breaking sexual habits George Sunday, January 2, 2005

Question:

A piece of good advice, I believe, is to wear a rubber band on one's arm, under long sleeves of course. If it's convenient--if one won't make a scene of one's self--one can snap the rubber band when an impure thought comes to mind. This will help drive the thought away for at least two different reasons:

1. both the flesh and the devil fear and abhor voluntary mortification
2. the mind dwells on impure thoughts partly because they have pleasant associations. Snapping the rubber band creates unpleasant associations.

As far as I know, this will work with thoughts related to the other deadly sins too--wrath, avarice, etc.--because they too are in their own way pleasant. A snap of a rubber band can do a lot to prevent the daydream unreality in which those thoughts can immerse us if we're not careful.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear George:

This technique is behavior modification aversion therapy. It can work for some people if they use it properly. Though some people may be snapping their wrist so much they will end up in the Emergency Room looking like they cut their wrist :)

Thanks for the idea.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary


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