What makes people do what they do?
  This is a question which people don't often think of, even for themselves;
Too often, people fail to realize or consider their own motives.
  How much of what we do is pre-planned, prepared for in advance? How much of
it is spur-of-the-moment? How much of it is automatic, done without our even
realizing or noticing it, and how much of it is deliberate? And how often do
we ask ourselves this?
  Perhaps more importantly, what capacity do we have to change our behaviour
and motives? Can we change ourselves? Do we have free will, the capacity to
control what we do, or are we merely mindless robots, forced to follow the
whims of impulse and powerless to resist or change our own minds?
  As with most things in life, the answer lies somewhere between the two
extremes. But by and large, the answer to the question "Can we change?" is
yes.
  People often speak of "who they are". As an example, "players" (people who
try to get as many significant others as possible) like to use the
catch-phrase "know yourself, and to yourself be true". The idea is that these
people cannot help what they do; "Mofos" with several dozen "hos" see
themselves as "who they are". Were they born this way? Are they forced to
live polygamous lives because of some genetic disorder? Most don't seem to
know or care. Rather, their attitude seems to suggest that they are greedy
slobs, using "this is they way I am" as an excuse. For all their "know
thyself" posing, these people exhibit an ironic lack of self-awareness.
  In a similar vein, people like to use the same explanation for a wide
variety of personality traits, including a tendency toward physical violence,
sexual oddity (including pedophilia and homosexuality), lying (recall Henry
Rollins' "song" "Liar"), and even drug abuse. These people make no apologies
for "who they are", because they believe they have no choice.
  Another, broader excuse these people like to use is that *everybody* must
be like them; If you don't behave like them, "you're just suppressing your
own nature. Sooner or later, you'll crack under the pressure. You'll see."
  Perhaps these people should take a closer look at the world around them.
The truth is, there are plenty of people in the world who have never cheated
on their spouses, used drugs, or even hit someone else. How do these people
do it? Were they born this way? Is there something wrong with them? No. They
have something which helps them do it: Self-control.
  Self-control is something which anyone can have, but few actually do.
Rather, people deliberately cripple their willpower by deluding themselves
that they have no choice but to be "who they are".
  "This is the way I am" is, admittedly, a true statement, but "This is the
way I have to be" is not. Rather, "This is the way I am" is an excuse by
weak-minded, weak-willed people to justify themselves.