You Don't Want to Do a Harmful Act, and Yet You Do It. Why?

Why Sense Experiences are Alluring
Temptations are alluring; there is no doubt about that. Our sensory powers are all directed to the outer world. There is a current of life energy flowing from the brain through the nerves into the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. The sensations we experience through these instruments are the result of this outward-flowing current, and we tend to like the feeling. That is the appeal of the senses. Overindulging them is dangerous; until a man is established in wisdom, the outgoing energy leads him into sense bondage...

Habit is a Pitiless Dictator
Commandments to refrain from harmful experiences are generally futile. Whenever you order a person not to do something, he immediately wants to do it. The taste of forbidden fruits is sweet in the beginning, but in the end, bitter. Yet, no matter how much suffering people experience, they go on doing the same self-harming things. Once you have established a liking for a certain sensory experience, the habit sits like a dictator in the brain and commands you to indulge yourself, even though it is against your best interests. You don't want to repeat an act, and yet you do it. Try never to let yourself reach a point where you become such a victim of wrong habits. You must be the master of yourself; do not let any habit control you. Whenever the desire for a particular sensory experience becomes habitual, it is time to stop that practice. 

(pg. 193, Man's Eternal Wisdom)