Harder Is Not Always Holier: The Dangers of Abstaining from Pleasure

“We don’t celebrate Halloween, actually.”We all know the feeling when someone casually mentions a family policy of abstaining from something we freely enjoy.“We don’t eat dairy.”“We don’t own a TV.”“We don’t wear shorts.”“We don’t financially support Disney.”“We avoid seed oils.”“We don’t let the kids read that book series.”And suddenly, almost involuntarily, we reassess our own position. When people’s consciences lead them to a stricter line than ours, a subtle question rises in our hearts: Am