You pose the rational self against the old lizard. If only we are rational enough, then surely we'll be happy. — jellyfish
Maybe "rational" was the wrong term. Perhaps I should have proposed that the "conscious" self (pilot) should retake control from the "subconscious" (autopilot). That's what Cognitive Rational Therapy (or Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) attempts to do. Most people think their conscious mind is in control of all they do, when in fact most of our behaviors operate on cruise-control, so we don't have to pay attention to what's going on. When the "pilot" is weakened by stress (doubts, depression, drugs, etc), it's easier to "veg-out" and offload your responsibilities to a mindless machine ("let go, and let God"). But, even when he is handicapped, he needs to see the danger signs that "autopilot" is about to get him into trouble, and know when to take-back the controls. After disaster has been averted, he'll be happy to still be alive.
Depression overwhelms the conscious mind with pain & paranoia, causing the pilot to cede control to negative emotions. So, it takes great effort to resist giving-in to the demon on the shoulder, urging you to give-up on life. That's why suicide is often viewed as the easy-way-out. It also takes heroic (or Stoic) Character to take charge of a bad situation.
"people are rarely emotionally affected by external events but rather by their thinking about such events" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_ ... or_therapy
"for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so" ___Shakespeare, Hamlet
[actually, it's automatic thinking that makes in-appropriate knee-jerk responses]
"Precursors of certain fundamental aspects of rational emotive behavior therapy have been identified in ancient philosophical traditions, particularly Stoicism".
The ultimate goal may be eudaimonia, but calm cognitive self-control is the method.