<P> A related concept in psychology is emotional self - regulation . Self - control is like a muscle . According to studies, self - regulation, whether emotional or behavioral, was proven to be a limited resource which functions like energy . In the short term, overuse of self - control will lead to depletion . However, in the long term, the use of self - control can strengthen and improve over time . </P> <P> Self - control is also a key concept in the general theory of crime, a major theory in criminology . The theory was developed by Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi in their book titled A General Theory of Crime, published in 1990 . Gottfredson and Hirschi define self - control as the differential tendency of individuals to avoid criminal acts independent of the situations in which they find themselves . Individuals with low self - control tend to be impulsive, insensitive towards others, risk takers, short - sighted, and nonverbal . The general theory of crime holds that self - control is established in early childhood through three major factors: the strength of the parent - to - child emotional bond, adequate supervision by parents, parents' ability to recognize punishable behavior, and appropriate discipline by parents . </P> <P> Desire is an affectively charged motivation toward a certain object, person, or activity, but not limited to, that associated with pleasure or relief from displeasure . Desires vary in strength and duration . A desire becomes a temptation when it impacts or enters the individual's area of self - control, if the behavior resulting from the desire conflicts with an individual's values or other self - regulatory goals . A limitation to research on desire is the issue of individuals desiring different things . New research looked at what people desire in real world settings . Over one week, 7,827 self - reports of desires were collected and indicated significant differences in desire frequency and strength, degree of conflict between desires and other goals, and the likelihood of resisting desire and success of the resistance . The most common and strongly experienced desires are those related to bodily needs like eating, drinking, and sleeping . This study has many implications related to self - control and the everyday things that interfere with people's ability to stay on task . This is a big reason why self - control is considered to be a public speaker's worst nightmare . </P> <P> Desires that conflict with overarching goals or values are known as temptations . Self - control dilemmas occur when long - term goals and values clash with short - term temptations . Counteractive Self - Control Theory states that when presented with such a dilemma, we lessen the significance of the instant rewards while momentarily increasing the importance of our overall values . When asked to rate the perceived appeal of different snacks before making a decision, people valued health bars over chocolate bars . However, when asked to do the rankings after having chosen a snack, there was no significant difference of appeal . Further, when college students completed a questionnaire prior to their course registration deadline, they ranked leisure activities as less important and enjoyable than when they filled out the survey after the deadline passed . The stronger and more available the temptation is, the harsher the devaluation will be . </P>

Control your emotions or be consumed by them meaning in tamil