As we know there were 3 types of knowledge (per each of the 3 rounds in the tiparivattaya) that arose in the Buddha per each of the Four Noble Truths.
There are 3 rounds or barriers (ti + parivatta) to overcome: (1) The apāyās or the four lowest realms, (2) kāma lōka (human realm and the 6 deva realms), (3) rūpa lōka (16 rūpi brahma realms) and arūpa lōka (4 arūpi brahma realms).
At each round, one comprehends the Four Noble Truths to a certain extent. For example, when one becomes a Sōtapanna and overcomes the first round (barrier), he/she understands all Four Noble truths to some extent. When one becomes an Sakadagami AND Anāgāmi by overcoming the second & third round, he/she has understood all Four Noble truths to a higher level, and it is complete at the Arahant stage.
The important thing to understand is that one needs to go through these stages sequentially (only a Buddha goes through them at once). Some people try to get rid “the perception of a self” even before the Sōtapanna stage. A “self” is going to be there until any kind of “gathi” are still there. When “apāya gathi” are removed at the Sōtapanna stage, one overcomes the first stage. “Kāma gathi” are reduced at the Sakadāgāmi stage, and removed at the Anāgāmi stage in overcoming the second round of bondage.
The two samyōjanā of māna (the perception that “I need to be treated well because I am superior in some way”) and uddacca (the tendency to get at least irritated when not treated as expected) go away only at the Arahant stage together with the other three samyōjanā of rūpa raga, arūpa raga, and avijjā.
But it is to be noted that the levels of māna, uddacca, avijjā that an Anāgāmi has, are at much reduced level. They are gradually decreased through various stages of Nibbāna and are eliminated at the Arahant stage.
Thus the critical step is to understand the nature of the wider world of 31 realms and get through the first round of bondage (and be released from rebirths in the apāyās) where the dangers are the highest. The only way to do that is to learn and contemplate the true & pure Dhamma. Relinquishing sense pleasures comes naturally after that. trying to give up sense pleasures forcefully before the Sōtapannastage will only lead to frustration.
A normal human, no matter how intelligent, cannot grasp the dangers of existence in the wider world of 31 realms because of various forms of wrong views or micchā ditthi. A Buddha discovers the existence of those realms and the unbearable suffering encountered (especially in the apāyās).
Until one gets rid of the those wrong views and attain the Sōtapanna stage, it is impossible to “clearly see” the dangers of sense cravings.