--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have been against all that is ascetic…" description: "\"“I have been against all that is ascetic; even that word was not known to me in those days, but I could smell something foul. You know I am allergic to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/363/osho-519_live-to-the-fullest_i-have-been-against-all-that-is-ascetic_1896634.jpg" --- # I have been against all that is ascetic; even that word… ![“I have been against all that is ascetic; even that word was not known to me in those days, but I could smell something foul. You know I am allergic to all kinds of self-torture. I want every human being to live to the fullest; minimum is not my way. Live to the maximum, or if you can go beyond the…” quote by Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/363/osho-519_live-to-the-fullest_i-have-been-against-all-that-is-ascetic_1896634.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/363/osho-519_live-to-the-fullest_i-have-been-against-all-that-is-ascetic_1896634.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/363/osho-519_live-to-the-fullest_i-have-been-against-all-that-is-ascetic_1896634.jpg) > ““I have been against all that is ascetic; even that word was not known to me in those days, but I could smell something foul. You know I am allergic to all kinds of self-torture. I want every human being to live to the fullest; minimum is not my way. Live to the maximum, or if you can go beyond the maximum, then fantastic. Go! Don’t wait! And don’t waste time waiting for Godot …”” [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates living fully, rejecting self-denial and waiting for external salvation. **In simple terms:** Live fully, reject asceticism. Key Takeaway Embrace maximal life, act now. Themes self‑actualization freedom existentialism Mood energetic defiant Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - creative projects - relationships - health pursuits Key Concepts asceticism maximalism personal agency Questions to Reflect On - What does “maximum” mean for you? - How can you balance ambition with sustainability? A Different Perspective May ignore practical limits, leading to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ascetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ascetic/) [Live to the fullest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-to-the-fullest/) [Waiting for godot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-for-godot/) ## Related quotes > [When I tried to do 'Waiting for Godot, it was such a controversy. I was tired of political theatre. All I wanted to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/when-i-tried-to-do-waiting-for-godot-it-was-such-a-controversy-i-was/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > ['Waiting for Godot,' when it first came out in 1950, was a very different sort of play to the plays that were in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/waiting-for-godot-when-it-first-came-out-in-1950-was-a-very-different/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [ Waiting for the implosion \[of the government of Romano Prodi\] is risking to turn into Waiting for Godot. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianfranco-fini/waiting-for-the-implosion-of-the-government-of-romano-prodi-is/) [Gianfranco Fini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianfranco-fini/) > [Waiting for Godot was not allowed. Neither was Henry Miller. The Soviets condemned them both. Miller would have been used as an example of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-rosset/waiting-for-godot-was-not-allowed-neither-was-henry-miller-the/) Barney Rosset > [Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot,' billed as 'the laugh sensation of two continents,' made its American debut at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, in Miami,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/samuel-beckett-s-waiting-for-godot-billed-as-the-laugh-sensation-of/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [I belong to that generation who, as students, had before their eyes, and were limited by, a horizon consisting of Marxism, phenomenology and existentialism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/i-belong-to-that-generation-who-as-students-had-before-their-eyes-and/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [I've played Beckett. I put on in the 1950s the first Australian production of 'Waiting for Godot.' I played Estragon. The most interesting conversation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-humphries/i-ve-played-beckett-i-put-on-in-the-1950s-the-first-australian/) [Barry Humphries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-humphries/) > [Let's go." "We can't." "Why not?" "We're waiting for Godot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/let-s-go-we-can-t-why-not-we-re-waiting-for-godot/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [When we'd suggested doing it, the Theatre Royal management had said, 'Nobody wants to see Waiting for Godot.' As it happened, every single ticket…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/when-we-d-suggested-doing-it-the-theatre-royal-management-had-said/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [When I was 14, I saw 'Waiting for Godot.' It's one of those plays that if it's done badly is absolutely dire and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-harington/when-i-was-14-i-saw-waiting-for-godot-it-s-one-of-those-plays-that-if/) [Kit Harington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-harington/) > [Waiting for Godot . . . has achieved a theoretical impossibility—a play in which nothing happens, that yet keeps the audience glued to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/waiting-for-godot-has-achieved-a-theoretical-impossibility-a-play-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in rep with a then unknown actor called Peter O'Toole playing Vladimir. I remember leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in-rep-with-a-then-unknown/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I played Lucky in Waiting for Godot at Yale and it was a thing that Stanislavski talks about: he says you don't need his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-waterston/i-played-lucky-in-waiting-for-godot-at-yale-and-it-was-a-thing-that/) [Sam Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-waterston/) > [What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“I have more than once tried to analyse this apparently deliberate form of self-torture that seems common to so many people in face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-maxwell/i-have-more-than-once-tried-to-analyse-this-apparently-deliberate/) [Gavin Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-maxwell/) ## More by Osho > [“That which is of great value cannot be attained through aggression. You will be able to find the mystery of life only if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/that-which-is-of-great-value-cannot-be-attained-through-aggression/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“If you love a person, you project things which are not there. If you hate a person, again you project things which are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/if-you-love-a-person-you-project-things-which-are-not-there-if-you/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“The first step in awareness is to be watchful of your body. Slowly,slowly one becomes alert about each gesture,each movement. And as you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-first-step-in-awareness-is-to-be-watchful-of-your-body-slowly/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“Whenever one starts meditating, the mind becomes rebellious. It starts all types of arguments: “What are you doing, why are you wasting time? Use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/whenever-one-starts-meditating-the-mind-becomes-rebellious-it-starts/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“Whatever has been said about you by others, simply drop it. It is absolutely crap. They don’t know about themselves; what can they say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/whatever-has-been-said-about-you-by-others-simply-drop-it-it-is/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“They happen only when you are distant,aloof. They happen, they cannot be brought. They happen you cannot force them to happen. They are spontaneous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/they-happen-only-when-you-are-distant-aloof-they-happen-they-cannot/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“The ego is possible only in conflict, struggle. If you have nothing to fight about, you will create some way or other to fight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-ego-is-possible-only-in-conflict-struggle-if-you-have-nothing-to/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [Politics is mundane; politicians are servants of the people. Religion is sacred; it guides peoples spiritual growth. Politics is the lowest as far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/politics-is-mundane-politicians-are-servants-of-the-people-religion/) [OSHO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“There is a great need to be needed. Remember, you feel good whenever you are needed. Sometimes, even if it brings misery to you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/there-is-a-great-need-to-be-needed-remember-you-feel-good-whenever/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“All possible resources have to be used, so that you can learn to use your anger in such a way that it becomes compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/all-possible-resources-have-to-be-used-so-that-you-can-learn-to-use/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“The three religions born outside India don’t have any name for it because they never went far in search of oneself. They remained childish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-three-religions-born-outside-india-don-t-have-any-name-for-it/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“Shiva is saying: the body is a product of nature and your will to do. The nature is merely the source, the womb. Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/shiva-is-saying-the-body-is-a-product-of-nature-and-your-will-to-do/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“No, life is meant to be a celebration; celebration is its central note. If someone asks you, better ask this question of yourself: ”Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/no-life-is-meant-to-be-a-celebration-celebration-is-its-central-note/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“Imagination is a great force. On the path of meditation, imagination is a barrier; on the path of love, imagination is a help. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/imagination-is-a-great-force-on-the-path-of-meditation-imagination-is/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [Yoga means that now there is no hope, now there is no future, now there are no desires. One is ready to know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/yoga-means-that-now-there-is-no-hope-now-there-is-no-future-now-there/) [OSHO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) [Explore all 479 Osho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) ## More Ascetic quotes > [“ascetic, but his eyes had the cold”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ascetic-but-his-eyes-had-the-cold/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The ascetic is often a sensualist who has reached the limit of his capacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-ascetic-is-often-a-sensualist-who-has-reached-the-limit-of-his/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [I might become an ascetic, live in India. A little rice is about the best I can do now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-might-become-an-ascetic-live-in-india-a-little-rice-is-about-the/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Everybody who does not live in a prostitute's bed and on a diet of cocaine snow is called an ascetic nowadays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/everybody-who-does-not-live-in-a-prostitute-s-bed-and-on-a-diet-of/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Asceticism is an antidote to the poison of self-centeredness common in our culture, which teaches us that satisfying our own desires is the key…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dreher/asceticism-is-an-antidote-to-the-poison-of-self-centeredness-common/) Rob Dreher > [“Darkness can inspire light, and light can inspire darkness, its just a difference of distant of these two contrasting forces.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/darkness-can-inspire-light-and-light-can-inspire-darkness-its-just-a/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Ascetic spirituality is a symptom of the very disease which it intends to cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anodea-judith/ascetic-spirituality-is-a-symptom-of-the-very-disease-which-it/) [Anodea Judith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anodea-judith/) > [“...We have attempted to separate the spiritual and the erotic, thereby reducing the spiritual to a world of flattened affect, a world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/we-have-attempted-to-separate-the-spiritual-and-the-erotic-thereby/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“In Nietzsche's usage, the word 'Christianity' does not even refer primarily to the religion; using it like a code word, he is thinking more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sloterdijk/in-nietzsche-s-usage-the-word-christianity-does-not-even-refer/) [Peter Sloterdijk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sloterdijk/) > [Forgiveness is the true nature of the ascetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramakrishna/forgiveness-is-the-true-nature-of-the-ascetic/) [Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramakrishna/) > [No ascetic can be considered reliably sane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-liebling/no-ascetic-can-be-considered-reliably-sane/) [A. J. Liebling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-liebling/) > [I'm not an ascetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/i-m-not-an-ascetic/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“In the wake of his new division of ascetic opinion, Nietzsche not only stumbles upon the fundamental meaning of the practising life for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sloterdijk/in-the-wake-of-his-new-division-of-ascetic-opinion-nietzsche-not-only/) [Peter Sloterdijk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sloterdijk/) > [The ascetic makes a necessity of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-ascetic-makes-a-necessity-of-virtue/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [God, we are told, looked upon the world after he had created it and pronounced it good; but ascetic pietists, in their wisdom, cast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/god-we-are-told-looked-upon-the-world-after-he-had-created-it-and/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) [Browse all 20 Ascetic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ascetic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have been against all that is ascetic; even that word was not known to me in those days, but I could smell something foul. 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