I've come across the idea that a curse can serve as a means for an individual to exert control over others. However, the truth is that anything we engage in, as long as it doesn't lead us to death, ultimately reflects our submission to a higher power—what one might call God. In the context of a curse, we are ironically surrendering our own sense of control in order to wield our personal influence. Those who seek to dominate and manage the behavior of others often base their perceived success on their own standards of righteousness. Yet, the Bible clearly states that we cannot achieve true righteousness through our own efforts alone. If God has explicitly instructed us to refrain from being self-righteous, then He has, in effect, introduced a certain level of suffering that accompanies our futile attempts at self-justification. We cannot attain freedom from the anguish that arises from trying to control others unless we confront the curse itself. Our sense of inability only becomes evident when we abandon the need to prove our own righteousness, which we might feel has changed over time. We can't fully experience death to our old selves without the guidance and support of divine law acting as our advocate.