Training the Horse of Spirit

Cultivating habits is the key to controlling the horse of spirit and honor. Unlike the horse of appetite, which is attracted to certain things and cannot change, the horse of spirit is trainable. Plato distinguishes that while the horse of appetite can only be controlled through punishment, the horse of spirit can be controlled through argument and explanation. Training the spirit horse involves making desired behaviors natural and pleasurable, tapping into human enjoyment of familiarity and mastery.