--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Asceticism may be a mere expression of…" description: "\"Asceticism may be a mere expression of organic hardihood, disgusted with too much ease.\" — William James" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/william-james-228_asceticism_asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-o_2080847.png" --- # Asceticism may be a mere expression of organic hardihood… ![“Asceticism may be a mere expression of organic hardihood, disgusted with too much ease.” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/william-james-228_asceticism_asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-o_2080847.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/william-james-228_asceticism_asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-o_2080847.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/william-james-228_asceticism_asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-o_2080847.png) > “Asceticism may be a mere expression of organic hardihood, disgusted with too much ease.” [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Asceticism can be seen as a disciplined rejection of comfort, driven by a desire for moral or spiritual strength. **In simple terms:** Asceticism is rejecting ease to build inner strength. Key Takeaway Practice disciplined restraint to develop resilience. Themes discipline spirituality hardship strength morality Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - religious retreats - minimalist living - physical training - mental challenges Key Concepts ascetic practice self‑control philosophical resilience Questions to Reflect On - Is asceticism the only path to strength? - How much comfort can you responsibly forego? A Different Perspective Extreme self‑denial can harm well‑being. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asceticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asceticism/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) ## Related quotes > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. 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In other words if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/when-you-reach-your-sixties-you-have-to-decide-whether-you-re-going/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [Dieting is our last tie with asceticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/dieting-is-our-last-tie-with-asceticism/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The main motive for nonattachment is a desire to escape from the pain of living, and above all from love, which, sexual or non-sexual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-main-motive-for-nonattachment-is-a-desire-to-escape-from-the-pain/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“A Christian who practices asceticism trains himself to say no to his desires and yes to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/a-christian-who-practices-asceticism-trains-himself-to-say-no-to-his/) [Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/) > [Catholicism is not ritualism; it may in the future be fighting some sort of superstitious and idolatrous exaggeration of ritual. 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Let but one tenth part of the inhabitants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/the-principle-of-asceticism-never-was-nor-ever-can-be-consistently/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [The beauty of a cuckoo is in its notes, that of a woman in her unalloyed devotion to her husband, that of an ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/the-beauty-of-a-cuckoo-is-in-its-notes-that-of-a-woman-in-her/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [Fie on the eloquence that leaves us craving itself, not things!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/fie-on-the-eloquence-that-leaves-us-craving-itself-not-things/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Asceticism is the right way of thinking for those who have to extirpate their sensual drives because they are ravening beasts of prey. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/asceticism-is-the-right-way-of-thinking-for-those-who-have-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by William James > [Effort is the one strictly undervalued and original contribution we make to this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/effort-is-the-one-strictly-undervalued-and-original-contribution-we/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“A Christian who practices asceticism trains himself to say no to his desires and yes to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/a-christian-who-practices-asceticism-trains-himself-to-say-no-to-his/) [Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/) > [The main motive for nonattachment is a desire to escape from the pain of living, and above all from love, which, sexual or non-sexual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-main-motive-for-nonattachment-is-a-desire-to-escape-from-the-pain/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Dieting is our last tie with asceticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/dieting-is-our-last-tie-with-asceticism/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [When you reach your sixties, you have to decide whether you're going to be a sot or an ascetic. In other words if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/when-you-reach-your-sixties-you-have-to-decide-whether-you-re-going/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [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/) > [Genuine asceticism for finding one's own soul and for the good of humanity is worthy of reverence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rama-swami/genuine-asceticism-for-finding-one-s-own-soul-and-for-the-good-of/) [Rama Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rama-swami/) > [Many modern scholars have found the asceticism expressed in Plato unacceptable; it does not sound like the advice of a reasonable man in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mcevilley/many-modern-scholars-have-found-the-asceticism-expressed-in-plato/) [Thomas McEvilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mcevilley/) > [The dunyâ distracts and preoccupies the heart and body, but al-zuhd (asceticism, not giving importance to worldly things) gives rest to the heart and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasan-of-basra/the-duny-distracts-and-preoccupies-the-heart-and-body-but-al-zuhd/) [Hasan of Basra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasan-of-basra/) > [Asceticism is the right way of thinking for those who have to extirpate their sensual drives because they are ravening beasts of prey. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/asceticism-is-the-right-way-of-thinking-for-those-who-have-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Browse all 113 Asceticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asceticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Asceticism may be a mere expression of organic hardihood, disgusted with too much ease.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-organic-hardihood-disgusted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asceticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-organic-hardihood-disgusted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/william-james-228_asceticism_asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-o_2080847.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/william-james-228_asceticism_asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-o_2080847.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/william-james-228_asceticism_asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-o_2080847.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Asceticism may be a mere expression of organic hardihood, disgusted with too much ease.” — William James", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Asceticism may be a mere expression...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-organic-hardihood-disgusted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/asceticism-may-be-a-mere-expression-of-organic-hardihood-disgusted/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```