Nothing is done independently, and everything that has been done up until today has been done from above. There is none else beside Him. So, if one understands this, then he comes under the influence of the environment. He starts realizing that only the surrounding environment can direct him towards the spiritual.
So even though we can’t control our own desires, society can and does control them. And because we can control our choice of society, we can choose the kind of society that will affect us in the way we think is best. Put simply, we can use social influences to control our own desires. And by controlling our desires, we’ll control our thoughts and ultimately, our actions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRVts7TFw-Y