When the “Seven Deadly Sins” are mentioned, many people might picture a serious religious trial or a thrilling murder plot from a movie.
But if we look at it from a different angle, this is actually a “Human Behavior Analysis Report” that has been passed down for thousands of years, or even an ancient “Mind Debugging Guide.”
The Seven Deadly Sins essentially point out seven “core defects that trigger other negative behaviors.” The point isn’t that you’ll go to hell for making a mistake, but that if you let these mindsets run wild for a long time, your life system might crash and break down.
Let’s dismantle this “ancient analysis of human weaknesses” together, and through representative animals and real-life examples, re-acquaint ourselves with the seven beasts living in our hearts.
Origin of the Seven Deadly Sins: Notes from Ancient Psychologists
Many people mistakenly believe that the Seven Deadly Sins originated from the Bible, but that’s not the case.
- Origin: Proposed in the 4th century AD by a group of desert monks in early Christianity (you can think of them as ancient psychologists).
- Standardization: In the 6th century AD, Pope Gregory I organized them into the seven items we know today.
- Purpose: Initially, it was a psychological checklist for monks to self-reflect and check if they had signs of “uncontrolled desires.”
These monks discovered that the reason people are in pain and unfree is often because certain instincts originally meant for survival (such as eating, anger, resting) become poisons to the soul because they are “excessive” or “misplaced.”
What are the Seven Deadly Sins?
The reason why the ancients summarized these seven items is that they discovered: these seven mindsets can combine to create almost all human disasters.
| Sin | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Pride | Makes one unable to listen to others |
| Envy | Triggers destruction and conflict |
| Wrath | Leads to loss of control |
| Sloth | Causes self-decay |
| Greed | Creates eternal dissatisfaction |
| Gluttony | Causes physical and mental imbalance |
| Lust | Causes relationship breakdown |
This is a detailed “Human Nature Bug List.” We all have these seven sins in us. The only difference is: some people know they have them and try to manage them; others think they don’t have them, and it’s everyone else who does. The latter is usually more dangerous.
Deconstructing the Seven Bugs: Representative Animals and Life Examples
To make these seven abstract psychological states easier to remember, the ancients thoughtfully paired them with representative animals. This wasn’t just for fun; the characteristics of these animals accurately capture the essence of each “sin.”
Let’s re-examine these seven tenants from the perspective of modern life:
| Sin | Representative Animal | Animal Symbolism | Real-Life Examples | Core Issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pride | 🦁 Lion 🦚 Peacock |
• Lion: Walks with an “I’m the best” aura, feeling like the center of the world. • Peacock: Always eager to display its feathers, wanting all eyes on itself, but forgetting its feet are in the mud. |
• Although the project was completed by the team, the report only emphasizes “my” credit. • Posting boastfully on social media and feeling depressed if the likes don’t meet expectations, feeling that no one understands you. |
👉 The problem is not confidence, but thinking “the world should revolve around me.” |
| 2. Envy | 🐍 Snake | • Snakes like to lurk in the grass and watch, hissing, waiting for the right moment to release venom. Perfectly interprets that dark psychology of “I don’t like you, but I won’t say it.” | • Hearing a friend got a promotion and raise, you say congratulations, but go home and immediately scroll through their LinkedIn, thinking sourly: “Hmph, it was just luck/connections." • Then you start trying to find their faults to comfort yourself and balance your mind. |
👉 Envy isn’t just wanting what the other person has, but “not wanting to see the other person have it.” |
| 3. Wrath | 🐻 Bear 🦁 Lion |
• Bear: Usually quiet, but flips the table when provoked, with amazing destructive power and no emotional buffer zone. • Lion: Roars and attacks when offended, trying to cover up inner hurt with destructive power. |
• Food delivery is 5 minutes late, you imagine the rider doesn’t respect you, scream profenities at the phone, and your blood pressure soars. • Customer service replies a bit slow, you feel looked down upon and immediately write a three-page angry complaint letter. |
👉 Wrath is usually not just about the current event, but emotions you’ve accumulated for too long without processing, detonated by a small spark. |
| 4. Sloth | 🦥 Sloth | • No need to explain this one; it’s too lazy to explain itself. Not only lazy to move, but a “numbness of the soul.” | • You know you should exercise, learn a new skill, or tidy your room. • But you tell yourself: “I’ll just rest for a bit today,” “I’ll start tomorrow." • The result is that “a bit” becomes three years. You’re not really resting either, just paralyzed on the sofa scrolling through meaningless short videos, feeling empty inside. |
👉 Sloth is not “inaction,” but choosing to escape when action is needed. |
| 5. Greed | 🐦⬛ Raven 🐸 Toad |
• Raven: Likes to collect shiny things in its nest; happy just to have them piled there, regardless of whether they are useful. • Toad: Legend has it guarding treasure, symbolizing a sense of scarcity that is “never enough.” |
• Your savings are already enough, and life is comfortable. • But seeing others change to bigger houses and more expensive cars, you start to feel “not enough,” so you sacrifice health and time with family to chase more numbers. |
👉 The mindset of Greed is: “I have, but I want more.” |
| 6. Gluttony | 🐷 Pig | • Pigs eat without looking at needs, only looking at what’s in front of them, consuming resources without restraint. | • Actually, you’re not hungry. • But to relieve stress, you must have fried chicken and bubble tea while binge-watching shows. • After eating, you feel guilty and decide to eat another dessert to heal. • Or it’s not just eating, but also frantically buying a bunch of useless things online. |
👉 Gluttony is not just eating, but any uncontrolled, excessive consumption used to fill a void. |
| 7. Lust | 🐰 Rabbit 🐐 Goat |
• They have strong reproductive capabilities, representing primitive, uncontrolled impulses; desires come fast and frequently. | • When swiping on dating apps or social media, you are not looking at a “person,” but at “tags." • Only focusing on face and body, simplifying the other person into a tool to satisfy fantasies, rather than an individual with a soul. |
👉 The core of Lust is not sex, but “turning people into tools,” disconnecting from real connection. |
How to Live with the Beasts Within? Be a Wise Zoo Keeper
Since these “sins” are instincts written in our genes, what should we do?
Many people think “spiritual growth” or “cultivation” is about killing the inner beasts and becoming a flawless saint with no temper.
Wrong! Big mistake!!!
If your mind is an apartment, these “animals” are tenants who already live there. If you try to violently drive them out, they will only tear your house down. The best approach is to evolve from “a slave led by them” into a “wise zoo keeper.”
1. Create a Space for “Awareness”
Imagine you are watching a 4D movie.
- Without awareness: You feel like the protagonist in the movie being chased by a lion, scared to death, body stiff.
- With awareness: You realize you are the “audience” sitting in the chair. The lion is still roaring, but you know it’s on the screen; there is a “space” between you and it.
This space is the beginning of you taking back control.
2. Taming Guide for Different Animals
-
Facing “Lion of Wrath” 🦁 (Overheated Energy):
- Do not suppress it forcefully (like closing a pressure cooker tight, it will explode).
- Practice “expansion.” Imagine your mind expanding as wide as the universe, letting the lion roar freely in the universe.
- Observe the “heat” flowing in the body; the energy usually dissipates after 90 seconds.
-
Facing “Sloth of Laziness” 🦥 (Overcooled Energy):
- Do not force yourself to jump up immediately (you’ll want to escape even more).
- Practice “micro-observation.” Focus your attention on extremely small places, such as the touch of your toes or the ups and downs of your breathing.
- When you feel the tiny signals of your body again, your consciousness connects, and the sloth will slowly wake up.
3. S.O.S. Scenario Practice
Next time you feel an animal is about to break through the fence, please execute this S.O.S Program:
- Stop: The moment you feel emotions rising, take a deep breath and pause like playing “Freeze Tag.”
- Observe: Identify it in your mind: “Oh, that’s the Wrath Lion,” “That’s the Envy Snake.” When you can name it, you are no longer it.
- Smile: Smile at that animal, like looking at a tantrum-throwing child: “Hey, you’re here again, very energetic today!”
When you learn this zoo management science, you will find: Wrath can be transformed into action, and Sloth can be transformed into deep rest.
This is the true wisdom of not being kidnapped by the Seven Deadly Sins, but harnessing them.