The Wall

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“What a dear old wall that is that runs along by the river there! I never pass it without feeling better for the sight of it. Such a mellow, bright, sweet old wall; what a charming picture it would make, with the lichen creeping here, and the moss growing there, a shy young vine peeping over the top at this spot, to see what is going on upon the busy river, and the sober old ivy clustering a little farther down! There are fifty shades and tints and hues in every ten yards of that old wall. . . . It looks so peaceful and so quiet, and it is such a dear old place to ramble round in the early morning before many people are about.” Jerome K. Jerome, “Three Men In A Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)” Ch. 6 (1889)

Moral Philosophy: Abstinence

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Withhold.
Impose forbearance.
Refrain.
You don't have to.

Want to test your will-power? Deny yourself something meaningful.
Ceasing the small stuff is easy. Holding off something precious can be painful.

Abstinence does not mean to quit, as in changing habits, but abstinence might lead to it. Abstinence can be a useful tool.

It can be a way to prepare for hardship, in parting with something comfortable for a while.

Try missing a meal. Or two meals. Or a whole day's worth of meals.
Try taking a cold shower, or going out in the cold without a coat.
Other people do it. Daily.

So now you have to ask yourself: what do those people have that I do not?
This is what abstinence will reveal.

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