Incontinence

The most common definition of incontinence is the inability to control one’s bladder. No one wants to accidentally urinate on themselves before they make it to the bathroom! But sometimes it happens for various reasons.

This week, I read a new description of the word ‘incontinence’. Aristotle describes incontinence (akrasia) as knowing what is good, but lacking the self-control to do good. (From Nichomachean Ethics, by Aristotle)

Plato and Socrates also pondered over this concept of akrasia. If a person knew that option A was good and option B was bad, why would anyone pick the bad option? Socrates insisted that “No one goes willingly to the bad.” He thought that people who made bad choices did so because they lacked knowledge or judgment. Aristotle had a more nuanced view on this. He thought that even people who knew what was good were sometimes weak-willed. They revised their opinions or intentions to excuse their lack of self-control.

The Apostle Paul said, “I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.” (Romans 7:17-25 MSG excerpts)

I think mental incontinence is much more common than the physical incontinence. We have trouble doing what we know to be good and right. We are weak-willed. We make a mess. It’s not intentional. If you, like me, suffer from physical or mental incontinence, there is hope. Depend on Jesus.