Culture-toxic fundamentalism and the love for austerity
Where does that come from? The anti-hedonistic love of scarcity, spareness, composure, measure, rigour, effort, sacrifice, strain, toughness, drought, and grim-faced resolution? The hatred for art, for music, for wine and other drugs, for sex, for food? The notion that sloth, lust, gluttony, and pride are not just sins, but mortal sins? It's not exclusive to one culture, and it comes and goes with the ages, and it pops up all over the planet, all over the ages. Entire cultural movements surge with the intent to stop decadence and clean society and bring back the true, pure values. I think there's something there, but I don't know what. Anyone here have a clue?
I've just found out that this mentality has a "cool" Western-subculture counterpart; "Straight Edge". Seems to place a lot of focus on abstinence from certain things and "cleaniness". A form of hygiene? Many of them are active, alternative artists, so being "straight edge" is not the same as being a "stick in the mud" "party pooper" "wet blanket"...
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post, even in Discussion, it goes here.