Self-mastery is the root of all morality. To be controlled by neither external influences or internal compulsions, but rather to draw up a vision of who it is you want to be, and then to bring this vision to fruition. Which is not to say that the ethical man does not consider what these external and internal sources communicate to him, but they cannot dictate what it is he is supposed to do or be, only he can determine this. It does not matter that this vision of yourself changes over time, so long as the purpose of achieving it in oneself is maintained. And no pursuit undertaken in this manner should be regretted, even if it is later rejected in favor of a new goal, so long as it is performed in earnest. It is a part of you and the ground upon which you continue to the self. The only thing that should be regretted is the cowardice and laziness that prevents us from the earnest pursuit and achievement of our transformative vision.
The ethical man is an artist. And it is the canvas of the self upon which he works his art. A dull and unimaginative image is unworthy of an artist and must be rejected in favor of something that can capture the soul and essence of what it is to be alive and human, vital and imaginative. Each brush stroke must be bold and unhesitant, without a trace of regret or timidity. Each act is not a possible error, but an opportunity to explore some new avenue of thought or expression, a moment of discovery, whether it be of the self or of the world within which we are situated. This self-artist must be free to make these discoveries, which must mean that he is free from the constraints of habituation, whether it be the habit of society or the habit of the self, for both are well trod and known, and thus no longer fruitful for the type of discovery and creativity the artist needs. Only the fearful take refuge in the safety of the known, and no artistry can come from fear, for fear cannot express itself in any way but conformity and monotony, and it knows not beauty or inspiration.