Self-denial

Not to be confused with Non-self.

Self-denial (related but different from self-abnegation[1] or self-sacrifice) is an act of letting go of the self as with altruistic abstinence – the willingness to forgo personal pleasures or undergo personal trials in the pursuit of the increased good of another.[2] Various religions and cultures take differing views of self-denial, some considering it a positive trait and others considering it a negative one. According to some Protestants, self-denial is considered a superhuman virtue only obtainable through Jesus.[3] Some critics of self-denial suggest that self-denial can lead to self-hatred.[4][better source needed]

  1. ^ Arthur I. Waskow (1991). Seasons of our Joy: A Modern Guide to the Jewish Holidays. Boston: Beacon Press. p. 31. ISBN 0-8070-3611-0. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  2. ^ Tina Besley; Michael A. Peters (2007). Subjectivity & Truth: Foucault, Education, and the Culture of Self. New York: Peter Lang. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-8204-8195-1. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  3. ^ Brian Stewart Hook; Russell R. Reno (2000). Heroism and the Christian Life: Reclaiming Excellence. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. p. 2. ISBN 0-664-25812-3. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  4. ^ David Jan Sorkin (1999). The Transformation of German Jewry, 1780-1840. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 4. ISBN 0-8143-2828-8. Retrieved September 2, 2011.