Asceticism for desire: a new trend of giving up habits, which is laughed at on the net

Austerity is a harsh practice of achieving spiritual goals, built on the renunciation of worldly joys. There are ascetics in almost all religions, including Christianity. Many of them gave up almost everything, consuming only what kept their bodies alive. There are generally terrible areas of asceticism, such as the Indian Aghori. But today, young people have adapted this practice to their needs. Asceticism for desire is the refusal of something familiar, such as sweets, alcohol or cigarettes, in exchange for the fulfillment of a desire.

You should not assume that asceticism for desire is another one-day topic that everyone will soon forget about. For many, this direction has already become a good source of income. There are hundreds of bloggers online who tell how to accept austerities and achieve what you want in this way. Their lengthy speeches are richly flavored with esotericism and astrology. Why not, if there are people willing to pay for it?

Most often, modern asceticism for desire involves the rejection of something. But there are exceptions related to actions. For example, a person should get up at 5 am or start going to a fitness club. Conditions can be different and the main thing is that they are difficult to fulfill. Desires are also varied. Some want to lose weight, others want to get married, and still others want to get a high salary.

The instructions for asceticism for desire are extremely simple. First of all, you need to decide on a desire. Then they choose for themselves the restrictions that require the application of serious efforts and set deadlines. But most importantly, you need to write a promise in order to document the asceticism and give yourself maximum firmness on the way to the goal. Adherents of this practice claim that the energy accumulated during asceticism is directed to the fulfillment of desire.

Asking for desire has become a trend in 2023. In March, the hashtag #austerity collected more than 30 million views. Once you get a video on request, you can learn from bloggers (usually girls) how the system works and get detailed instructions for action. Almost all coaches claim that there is punishment for breaking penance. There are many options here, but most often they threaten to worsen the situation in the case, which was related to asceticism.

Agree, such threats motivate! There are always a lot of comments on Instagram under the posts of mentors. Homegrown ascetics share their experiences and find out why their renunciation didn't work. Bloggers explain in different ways, but most often they answer that for a specific desire, austerity is too weak or a very short time.

Among the coaches there are both amateurs and real commercial geniuses. For example, blogger Elina Gladkova offers to purchase 21-day ascetic courses. For only 9,000 rubles, the entrepreneur is ready to personally manage the process, instructing the buyer through WhatsApp.

But if on Instagram the majority of users treat asceticism with understanding, then on Twitter, as one would expect, the newfangled practice is cruelly ridiculed.

It is difficult to say why austerity has become so popular. It is quite possible, because it offers to get what you want by making efforts in a completely different area, where it is easier to act.