--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The worst possible thing for any of us…" description: "\"The worst possible thing for any of us - no matter what our temptations, no matter what our mortal inclinations may be - is to become fixated with them..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/lance-b-wickman-15289_death_the-worst-possible-thing-for-any-of-us-n_2966120.jpg" --- # The worst possible thing for any of us - no matter what… ![“The worst possible thing for any of us - no matter what our temptations, no matter what our mortal inclinations may be - is to become fixated with them, to dwell on them. When we do that, not only do we deny the other things that comprise us, but experience teaches that there will be an increased…” quote by Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/lance-b-wickman-15289_death_the-worst-possible-thing-for-any-of-us-n_2966120.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/lance-b-wickman-15289_death_the-worst-possible-thing-for-any-of-us-n_2966120.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/lance-b-wickman-15289_death_the-worst-possible-thing-for-any-of-us-n_2966120.jpg) > “The worst possible thing for any of us - no matter what our temptations, no matter what our mortal inclinations may be - is to become fixated with them, to dwell on them. When we do that, not only do we deny the other things that comprise us, but experience teaches that there will be an increased likelihood that eventually we will simply succumb to the inclination.” [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Obsessing on temptations narrows identity and increases risk of succumbing to them. **In simple terms:** Fixation limits self. Key Takeaway Avoid fixation; balance attention. Themes self‑control balance identity Mood thoughtful serious Type self‑help psychological When to use this quote - personal goals - relationship conflicts - addiction recovery - career decisions Key Concepts psychology habit formation self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can you acknowledge temptations without becoming consumed? - What habits help maintain a broader self‑view? A Different Perspective Temptations can be useful signals if managed, not ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Inclinations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inclinations/) [Mortals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortals/) [Temptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temptation/) ## Related quotes > [From the cradle to the grave, temptations all around. But no matter how good the fix, its gonna take you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-urban/from-the-cradle-to-the-grave-temptations-all-around-but-no-matter-how/) [Keith Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-urban/) > [Merely having inclinations does not disqualify one for any aspect of Church participation or membership, except possibly marriage. But even that, in the fullness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/merely-having-inclinations-does-not-disqualify-one-for-any-aspect-of/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [It is easy to be just when our own inclinations do not oppose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-lennox/it-is-easy-to-be-just-when-our-own-inclinations-do-not-oppose-it/) [Charlotte Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-lennox/) > [Natural inclinations are present in things from God, who moves all things. So it is impossible for the natural inclinations of a species to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/natural-inclinations-are-present-in-things-from-god-who-moves-all/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“The people naturally adhere most to doctrines which demand the least self-exertion and the least use of their own reason, and which can best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-people-naturally-adhere-most-to-doctrines-which-demand-the-least/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [My age, my inclinations, are no longer what they were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/my-age-my-inclinations-are-no-longer-what-they-were/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“Pride consists in an unduly exalted opinion of one's self. It is, therefore, impatient of a rival, hates a superior, and cannot endure a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon-spurgeon/pride-consists-in-an-unduly-exalted-opinion-of-one-s-self-it-is/) [Charles Haddon Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon-spurgeon/) > [“In following your inclinations and moving toward mastery, you make a great contribution to society, enriching it with discoveries and insights, and making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/in-following-your-inclinations-and-moving-toward-mastery-you-make-a/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“The will, I believe, is the mystery of mysteries. Who can say beforehand that his will is strong? There are all kinds of indefinable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/the-will-i-believe-is-the-mystery-of-mysteries-who-can-say-beforehand/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [I don't have the inclinations that other people seem to have as far as the business is concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hersh/i-don-t-have-the-inclinations-that-other-people-seem-to-have-as-far/) [Kristin Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hersh/) > [I only study the things I like; I apply my mind only to matters that interest me. They'll be useful-or useless-to me or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/i-only-study-the-things-i-like-i-apply-my-mind-only-to-matters-that/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [An idle life always produces varied inclinations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucan/an-idle-life-always-produces-varied-inclinations/) [Lucan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucan/) > [The bereaved had never any doubt about their dear ones' wishes and those wishes usually squared with their own inclinations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/the-bereaved-had-never-any-doubt-about-their-dear-ones-wishes-and/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [Patience means restraining one's inclinations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/patience-means-restraining-one-s-inclinations/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm sure it's not any wish of mine that I'm born with inclinations for better things. If I could be born again, and had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-franklin/i-m-sure-it-s-not-any-wish-of-mine-that-i-m-born-with-inclinations/) [Miles Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-franklin/) ## More by Lance B. Wickman > [It really is true the Lord's way is to love the sinner while condemning the sin. That is to say we continue to open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/it-really-is-true-the-lord-s-way-is-to-love-the-sinner-while/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [What happens in somebody's house down the street does in very deed have an effect on what happens in my house and how it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/what-happens-in-somebody-s-house-down-the-street-does-in-very-deed/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [Ultimately, the wisest course for anybody who's afflicted with same-gender attraction is to strive to extend one's horizon beyond just one's sexual orientation, one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/ultimately-the-wisest-course-for-anybody-who-s-afflicted-with-same/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [Why somebody has a same-gender attraction... who can say? But what matters is the fact that we know we can control how we behave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/why-somebody-has-a-same-gender-attraction-who-can-say-but-what/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [ \[Genderless marriage\] is contrary to God's law, to revealed Word. Scripture, ancient and modern, could not be clearer on the definition that the Lord… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/genderless-marriage-is-contrary-to-god-s-law-to-revealed-word/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [If I can keep myself worthy here, if I can be true to gospel commandments, if I can keep covenants that I have made,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/if-i-can-keep-myself-worthy-here-if-i-can-be-true-to-gospel/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [Marriage is not an institution to be tampered with by mankind, and certainly not to be tampered with by those who are doing so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/marriage-is-not-an-institution-to-be-tampered-with-by-mankind-and/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [In this life, such things as service in the Church, including missionary service, all of this is available to anyone who is true to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/in-this-life-such-things-as-service-in-the-church-including/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [Isn't it really the significance of the Atonement in a person's life? Doesn't the Atonement really begin to mean something to a person when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/isn-t-it-really-the-significance-of-the-atonement-in-a-person-s-life/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [Any opportunity to serve in the Church is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/any-opportunity-to-serve-in-the-church-is-a-blessing/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [There's an old maxim which is really true for every parent and that is, 'You haven't failed until you quit trying.' I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/there-s-an-old-maxim-which-is-really-true-for-every-parent-and-that/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [Either there is marriage as it is now defined and as defined by the Lord, or there is what could thus be described as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/either-there-is-marriage-as-it-is-now-defined-and-as-defined-by-the/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [It is comparing apples and oranges to refer to the love that the Savior expressed for all mankind, for every person, for every man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/it-is-comparing-apples-and-oranges-to-refer-to-the-love-that-the/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [If I'm one that's afflicted with same-gender attraction, I should strive to see myself in a much broader context... seeing myself as a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/if-i-m-one-that-s-afflicted-with-same-gender-attraction-i-should/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [There is no such thing in the Lord's eyes as something called same-gender marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/there-is-no-such-thing-in-the-lord-s-eyes-as-something-called-same/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) [Explore all 43 Lance B. Wickman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The worst possible thing for any of us - no matter what our temptations, no matter what our mortal inclinations may be - is to become fixated with them, to dwell on them. 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