Friday, February 27, 2015

The false willpower of extreme self-denial

Society often admires people on some level for imposing oppressive regimens on themselves (extreme asceticism, excessive religious self-denial, etc). Even if we wouldn't practice it ourselves, we often see it as a sign of strong discipline. But it often indicates a lack of willpower, if less restriction would lead to a total loss of control. We all have to make some sacrifices that will pay off in the end, but there is such a thing as pointless sacrifice. It's a way of subjecting oneself to needless suffering, which is neither reasonable nor healthy.