Is hunger purposely self punishment or mental discipline?

Answer 1

the practice of enduring hunger to disenage yourself from worldly needs to concentrate on spiritual things has been in use all around the world for centuries.
ie, fasting, Ramadam, Lent
There is nothing wrong with sometimes allowing yourself to feel hungry as long as:
1) your body has finished growing, (girls about 18 and boys about 20)
2) you have no health issues which would worsen by not eating, ie diabetes

In the above case it is mental discipline.


The practice of going hungry because you feel bad about yourself and don't deserve to eat is self-punishment.

Answer 2

There's a third option: hunger that comes with a felt sense that it should not be satisfied by food can be - CAN be, not necessarily IS - an expression of some need to create a particular body/mind state. For example, a soldier might be hungry before battle but have no desire to eat...that hunger allows more blood to be available for the brain at a time when alertness is needed. As another example, "losing one's appetite" after a hurtful remark or unexpected shock can be useful for getting clarity and avoiding having that shock cause long-term negative effects. In fact, when a primal desire like hunger, twitchiness, or even horniness, comes simultaneously with a conflicting desire NOT to satisfy that desire, very often it's a response to some external situation that mirrors a nasty shock buried deep in our memory, and it may not be better or worse to satisfy EITHER of those desires...provided we're balanced in how we satisfy natural urges for the most part in our lives.

Answer 3

Hunger is self punishing when you refuse to eat, but having plenty to eat. It is a mental discipline when you can't keep food in your stomach.

Answer 4

It could be both depending on if you are punishing yourself ~ or if you are going for mental discipline. It also depends on your spiritual/religious beliefs. Another thing to think about is eating disorder as in maybe you have one? Your a little vague

Answer 5

Depends on the reason for it. If you're not eating just because you like pain, then it's self-punishment. If you're not eating because you're fasting for religious reasons or trying to develop spiritually, then that's mental discipline.

Answer 6

Mental discipline if you have food to eat. Its called starving if you dont.

Answer 7

Physical hunger is your body telling you to feed it. If it is mental or emotional you might have psychological problems.

Answer 8

Depends if you have a goal in mind.