Relating Addict: fasting

Nietzsche and "Fasting"

Nietzsche (1886) wrote that industrious races often find it difficult to be idle. He also mentions that the English made Sunday a day of rest to look forward to the work week ahead. Nietzsche saw this as a fast similar to those found in ancient cultures. He felt that a fast was defined as "powerful habits and influences were controlled through periods of restraint" (Nietzsche 1886). Nietzsche (1886) saw fasting as not being limited to food and that it also referred to abstaining from certain impulses or habits, which purified and sharpened them.

Nietzsche also wrote that fasting had been practiced by religious and philosophical groups throughout history as a way to control impulses and purify the mind. He believed that fasting could help to reduce cravings and distractions, and provide an opportunity for introspection and reflection. He mentions the Stoics in ancient Greece who believed that the key to happiness was to live in accordance with nature, and how they believed that fasting could help to strengthen their willpower and discipline.

Nietzsche (1886) also wrote that this fasting concept could be applied to love and the sexual impulse. He writes that during the Christian period of European history, because of the pressure of Christian sentiments, the urge for sex was modified into a more socially acceptable form called love. Nietzsche (1886) wrote that this was a form of fasting, where the impulse is controlled and refined. In other words, he was saying that by fasting from instant sexual gratification, the impulse would be more refined in the form of love. This fasting of instant sexual gratification would lead to a deeper and more meaningful relationship between two people.

In conclusion, Nietzsche was claiming that fasting could be a powerful tool, not just in relation to eating. By taking a break from certain behaviors, we actually have time to reflect and sharpen our minds.