The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

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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