Self-denial

Not to be confused with Non-self.

Self-denial (also called self-abnegation[1] and self-sacrifice) refers to 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 Christians, 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 and claim that the self-denial practiced in Judaism has created self-hating Jews.[4]

See also

References

  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 0-8204-8195-5. 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.