Minimalism and moderation!
in Philosophy ·
Ashley Thompson9 said:See, I was talking about the suffering caused by the hedonist, whereas when I mentioned the ascetic, I meant they look down on people because, in their eyes, everyone else is way too obsessed with material stuff. If true spirituality leads to a certain way of living, then someone who becomes naturally humble through that process isn't really an "ascetic"—they aren't actually giving anything up, they just don't feel the urge for all those over-the-top physical pleasures anymore. But an ascetic? They're performing. It's a pose. They want to show off their "spiritual strength" to impress everyone while judging other people's lifestyles as sinful or inferior. And hey, maybe they don't even realize they're doing it! They claim they aren't judging anyone, but let's be real—just by choosing to renounce things, they're basically triggering envy in everyone else. Truth is, they might not even have that inner strength; maybe they just lost the race in competing with others, so they turn to Asceticism out of pure spite.
Now, I don't want to be unfair to folks who live life to the fullest and enjoy themselves without being selfish or immoral about it. For them, everything I said about naturally humble people applies. Plus, letting go of things that we can rationally see are just extra baggage or unnecessary... well, that's not fake asceticism either. That’s just genuine inner strength.
Isn't asceticism inherently tied to inner strength?
Inner strength drives asceticism. It provides the purpose.
Ascetic practices themselves actually fuel the exact kind of spiritual egoism you just described.