“It dawned upon me that fasting could be made as powerful a weapon of indulgence as of restraint”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: From Gandhi's autobiography (chapter on fasting and self-restraint); exact primary line not fetched to confirm.
About this quote
A tool built for self-control can quietly serve the opposite. Going without can feed pride, a hunger for attention, or a need to feel purer than everyone around you, appetites dressed up as discipline. The warning is to watch the motive, since the same act can starve the body while fattening the ego.
When to use it
- A dieter realizes her strict cleanse is less about health than the praise she collects posting about it.
- A minimalist notices his bare apartment has become a way to feel superior to his cluttered friends.
- A man's punishing workout routine turns out to be less discipline than a hunt for control over one thing in his life.