Life-denying

Characterized by or promoting attitudes, beliefs, or practices that discourage or actively undermine the joy, vitality, and flourishing of life, often focusing on suffering, sacrifice, and a devaluation of earthly pleasures. This perspective tends to emphasize restraint, self-discipline, and the suppression of natural impulses, viewing them as inherently flawed or leading to spiritual corruption. It frequently involves a pessimistic outlook on existence, emphasizing death and the afterlife over the present moment and the positive aspects of human experience. This can manifest in religious, philosophical, or social contexts.

Life-denying meaning with examples

• The ascetic monk's strict lifestyle and vows of poverty exemplify a life-denying philosophy, prioritizing spiritual purity over material comforts and worldly pleasures. He viewed the pursuit of happiness and earthly possessions as distractions from his ultimate goal of enlightenment. This way of life denies the value of human experience here on earth.
• Her chronic negativity and constant complaints about life painted a life-denying picture, focusing solely on the negative aspects of every situation and refusing to acknowledge any joy or beauty. She seemed determined to find fault with everything and everyone she encountered.
• The rigid societal norms that condemned self-expression and individuality fostered a life-denying culture, stifling creativity and the pursuit of personal fulfillment. These restrictions discouraged people from embracing their true selves or celebrating life's diverse experiences.
• The cult leader's doctrine, which promoted self-flagellation and denied basic human needs, was a profoundly life-denying belief system. The follower’s strict adherence to such doctrine left no room for enjoyment of life's simple pleasures.
• The artist’s work explored the theme of existential dread and the futility of human existence, ultimately creating a life-denying aesthetic that reflected a bleak and pessimistic worldview. His art often showed death as the ultimate release from suffering.