Thoughts

There could be a thought that had enormous power over you for many years. Through meditation you might release that thought, rob it of its power for good.

For example: if you define your worth by whether you are in a romantic relationship,  by how much money you have. You don't have to define yourself that way. Do you get upset when someone has different opinions from you about trivial things? That someone else doesn't share your high opinion of yourself.  

Those are examples of  thoughts controlling you, when you need to be the one choosing which thoughts are most useful. You have a great deal more control over those decisions that you think.

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People were discussing whether you should direct your hatred toward politicians whose policies you dislike. Afterwords, I thought that directing one's hate at long distance toward some politician was useless. The person being hated doesn't receive your ill-will; the hater is the one who suffers. Of course, we can disapprove of these people's actions and work against them. But personally hating them? What does that do?

Someone doing bad deeds does harm to themselves, said Plato. Of course, you are hurting other people, but you are also doing damage to yourself by making yourself less just.