Self-Rejection, Self-Sacrifice, Self-Denial VS Egoism, Earthly Pleasures, Hedonism

[Belacqua]

As for the ascetics, is it even possible to be a secular (NEITHER spiritual NOR religious) ascetic? Because the pleasure most of them talk about is always something spiritual/religious in nature. Or if we stretch the definition of “spiritual” to something like “Mark Green’s Atheopaganism” which is just “awe” for natural occurences, now that makes sense.

You're right that "ascetic" is normally a religious thing. I think we could avoid this by just talking about "living consciously," or "getting rid of the things we don't need." 

So I agree with you that much of what we want is what society tells us we should want. It takes time and conscious thought to work out what we really ought to focus on.

I'd never heard of Mark Green's Atheopaganism before, but I've done a little Googling. I can see how that would appeal to some people. Certain kinds of rituals or practices can enhance our awareness and appreciation, and don't really need to be rooted in concepts of the divine. For example the tea ceremony in Japan has Buddhist roots, but a person wouldn't have to accept all the metaphysics of Buddhism to benefit from it. A pause for calm aesthetic appreciation improves one's life. 

I just bought a house that's literally on top of a mountain, and I've been thinking about how I want to live here. I foresee a lot of gardening in my future, and I hope to do this in a conscious, appreciative manner. Not quite ritual, but with that kind of awareness.

So I think it's important to work on these ideas of social influence vs. what is really good for us. I see, though, that the people who run this forum don't approve of your posts, so we're not going to be able to do the work here. I hope that you find serious people to talk with. Good luck!