Promotion Of Mediocrity

While the discipline of denial (ascesis) as practised in a community is never totally irrelevant and most definitely a large part of spiritual and psychological growth for those who struggle with finding the positive benefits of discipline at all, in and of itself it only goes so far. While it can initiate a certain growth it simultaneously stifles growth beyond a median level. It is overly easy to fall into formalized adaptation to a pattern. Parts of this pattern become deemed as safe when in fact they are nothing more than the blessing of a lack of growth. Instead of finding the face of the living God it is void of genuine, living contemplation and only provides tolerance for those who do not grow. The same can be said of individualized attempts by anti-social, wooden attempts by practitioners who live apart from community as well.