Get a Grip!
A 14th Century PSA: Now With 20% More Comedy!
Antiquarian’s study was cleaner than was typical, with its tottering stacks of tomes organized into structurally-sound collections, its desks, chairs, and other accoutrements of academia dusted, and its windows freshly polished. The piles of loose paper that usually festooned the room were filed, the contents of the bookshelves rightly ordered, and the floor swept of pencil shavings, coffee grounds, paper scraps, and all such detritus.
As a rule, such a clean state of existence marked that period of time between when Aura de Patience finished tidying up the space and when Antiquarian blew in like a tornado and destroyed any semblance of order and harmony.
Today, however, the reason was different. Today, Antiquarian had a guest.
Friar Jacques de Charrette felt right at home in Antiquarian’s antiquarian study, save for the fact that he could not seem to adjust the large armchair behind the desk to sit at a comfortable height for his tall human build. Eventually he simply backed the chair away from the desk and set it as high as it would go before talking to the chair’s owner, who stood off to one side. “So I just address the audience directly and the metaphorical camera comes to rest on me?”
Antiquarian glowered at the man. “You should know; you and Song already did this once when you tossed me into the closet to do that PSA on self-care.”
Jacques gave a wintery smile. “Ah, yes. Silly me. I had forgotten.” Swiveling the chair to face the Fourth Wall, he began, “My brothers and sisters, good day, and may Lenten blessings rest upon you. As today is Ash Wednesday and the start of the Lenten Season, I thought it a fitting time to speak on the spiritual and practical benefits of an oft-neglected practice: Fasting.” With a slight smile, he held up a hand to forestall the movement of the readers who were scrambling to close out the window and look for something else to occupy their time. “Rest-assured, I shall endeavor to make this a timely and interesting little jaunt for you, even those of you who are not religious. After all, the practice of Fasting is used by therapists, personal trainers, health care professionals, and many more besides on a daily basis. If you will indulge me, I think you will find this informative, and perhaps quite fruitful if you are open to it.”
He gestured to Antiquarian with a gnarled hand. “My esteemed author was kind enough to allow me to once more use his study to address you, on the grounds that, oh, how did you put it again?”
“On the grounds that I feel terrible about what I plan on doing to you in future chapters and this is my way of begging forgiveness,” admitted Antiquarian with a guilty look on his disheveled features.
“Yes, that,” smiled Jacques. “So, without further ado, let us examine the principle of Fasting.”
“Wheee,” grumbled Antiquarian unenthusiastically.
Jacques shot him a reproving glance. “Heckling is unbecoming, Antiquarian.”
“Never stops my readers.”*
“Fasting,” asserted Jacques, pushing past the interruption, “is generally thought of in this day-and-age as an unfortunate imposition forced upon people by religious structures in order to restrict their lives for the sake of piety. It is a view which, sadly, is even held by many people within said religious structures who were never taught the actual purpose behind Fasting and were simply expected to do it.” He shook his head slowly. “A sad statement on the quality of instruction provided by many clergy, but I digress. Fasting is a great deal more nuanced than this stereotype, and is in fact centrally about freedom rather than confinement.”
Antiquarian spoke up, his voice sounding phoned-in and sarcastic. “But, Friar Jacques, how can a thing that tells me I can’t do something possibly be about freedom?”
Jacques gave the pony an odd look, raising one eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
In his normal voice, the writer answered, “I’m playing the part of generic hypothetical questioner to set you up for the next part of your lesson while simulating audience involvement to prevent them from getting bored.”
The friar blinked. “Oh. Well. That… makes sense I suppose. Only…” he scratched his head, “why do you sound so disinterested?”
“Well, maybe I’m just a little bored because I’d like to be working but I can’t because you’re SITTING AT MY FREAKING DESK!”
Jacques gave him a long look that suggested that he wasn’t convinced of Antiquarian’s mental stability before resuming. “Riiiight… well, in any case, allow me to explain. In order to understand Fasting, we must first understand its etymology.”
Antiquarian feigned shock. “Wow. I just felt thirty readers leave the moment you said ‘etymology.’”
“Oh, dear Antiq,” laughed Jacques, “this is a supplement; there weren’t thirty readers to begin with.”
“Touché.”
“Rather than boring you with the entire etymology, suffice it to say that the Old English and Germanic origins of the word referred not to speed, but to holding strong. The original Old English term ‘Fast’ was related to standing tall, holding onto something, or keeping a firm grip. This definition remains in such modern turns of phrase as ‘hold fast.’”
“Huh,” remarked Antiquarian thoughtfully. “That wasn’t nearly as boring as I thought it would be. Tell me more.”
Jacques raised an eyebrow. “Are you being the stand-in for the audience again, or are you just being difficult?”
“Eh,” shrugged the stallion. “Po-ta-to, po-tah-to.”
Rolling his eyes, the friar continued. “Thus, one might think of Fasting as ‘holding fast’ on matters of self-mastery and personal betterment. Or, to render it in modern parlance, ‘getting a grip’ on yourself.”
“But what does this have to do with freedom?” asked Aura de Patience.
Both males jumped slightly at her sudden presence. “When did you get here?” demanded Antiquarian.
“I can’t get any work done with you two doing this, so I thought I’d come help be the audience, since you’re clearly being moody.”
Before Antiquarian could snap back a retort, Jacques reclaimed the narrative. “I’m so glad you asked that, hypothetical audience member who’s more polite than the last one.” Antiquarian glared, but the friar ignored him. “Consider the following scenario: a man struggles with the vice of laziness. He sits on his couch watching TV, knowing full well that he could be doing something more productive with his time, or at least engaging in a past-time more engaging and edifying than the mediocre show he’s watching. Instead of turning off the TV, however, or at least changing the proverbial channel, he simply lets the countdown run out before the next episode starts and continues to indulge in binge-watching.”
Aura raised an eyebrow. “That sounded like a… very specific example.”
Jacques smirked. “That would be because whenever Antiquarian is on assignment to the human world, he is subject to this particular vice.”
The stallion in question flushed bright red. Aura regarded him thoughtfully. “That would explain why you’re always behind on your work when you get back into town.”
Antiquarian pointed an accusing hoof at Jacques. “You’re on thin ice, Friar. I’m still your writer.”
“Oh, what are you going to do?” mocked Jacques. “Kill all my brother monks again? As the kids say, ‘bring it.’”
“Why did I write you like this?”
Aura sighed. “Could we get back on track please?”
“Of course,” nodded Jacques. “Now, we are all creatures of habit, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the circumstances. In the case of this binge-watcher, it’s a bad thing. He thinks he’s exercising his freedom by choosing to watch another episode, but the truth is the opposite. Is he ‘free’ the next day when he’s behind on his work? Is he ‘free’ when he realizes that he’s behind on his hobby projects that bring him far more joy than the mediocre show he’s watching? Is he ‘free’ when he can’t even select a more edifying show because that would require too much effort? Of course not! He’s enslaved to his vices and fails to live up to his full potential.”
“The horror!” exclaimed Aura, throwing a hoof to her brow in a manner that would have made Rarity proud. The two males stared. “What, too much?”
“Just a skosh,” said Antiquarian.
“It is horrible, though,” agreed Jacques. “The fact that we can be unable to control ourselves even in something as trifling as our evening entertainment should give us pause. The good news, however, is that our habitual nature can work to our favor just as easily. Consider the same scenario with the following twist: the same man has been Fasting of late. Nothing major – just limiting his sugar intake to one dessert a day, cutting out snacking, and eating more fiber. Perhaps he’s doing it for religious reasons; perhaps he’s trying to drop those extra pounds; perhaps he’s trying to set a good example for his kids.”
“Perhaps he wants to be more regular,” volunteered Antiquarian.
“Something we should all aspire to,” replied Jacques solemnly. “Whatever the case, he’s feeling a little bit healthier because of his food intake, and a little more confident because he knows that he is capable of saying ‘no’ to his impulses. Now, when he sees that episode counter clicking down to the next episode, he knows that he’s not subject to saying ‘yes’ to every little whim that crosses his mind, and he has the self-control needed to turn off the TV and go work on something else.”
Jacques tapped his fingers on the desk in rhythm to his words. “Note what just happened. Because this man was able to say ‘no’ to himself, he became more free than he was before. He reclaimed his agency by making his activities a matter of deliberate choice rather than a matter of impulse, and he was able to do it because he developed a habit of self-control in an area that wasn’t even directly related to the bad habit that he actually needed to break.”
“I’ve heard about this,” interjected Aura. “If I may, Friar,” he nodded and she continued, “twelve-step support groups for people trying to kick addictions to things like alcohol and pornography often recommend that the participants also do things like Fasting from certain foods, shows, or other passive and semi-passive pleasures because it helps rewire the brain to be accustomed to decision-making rather than acting on impulse.”
“On top of which,” added Antiquarian, “it emboldens and ennobles the spirit to prize one’s personal betterment, and the betterment of those around oneself, over the immediate pleasures of everyday life.” The other two gave him surprised looks, and he gruffly remarked, “What? Just because I’m a smart-aleck doesn’t mean I don’t care about the message here.”
Jacques nodded appreciatively. “Freedom is often misrepresented as being the ability to do what one wants, but this is a false definition. After all, an addict wants the drugs he’s addicted to, but one would be hard-pressed to find anyone more enslaved than he. By contrast, people who are capable of making the right choices, the ones which shall allow them to be the best that they can be, are truly free, even if they must choose disciplines and rules to achieve this. Consider two athletes – one who plays by the rules, trains, and sacrifices certain pleasures to be fit and well-trained; the other, by contrast, eats whatever he wants, refuses to train, and ignores the rules. Which of them will be the freer player on the field? I tell you that the first, who subordinated his or her immediate desires for a higher goal, will be the greater athlete, while the second, who was flippant, will spend a great deal of time on the bench, if they are allowed to remain on the team at all.”
Antiquarian nodded, casting a fond glance at Aura. “Miss Aura isn’t a great secretary because she organizes my office however she wants; she’s a great secretary because she organizes it, and me, the way that I need to succeed.”
“And Antiquarian is more free to pursue his life’s calling when there’s a proper order and control to his life,” added Aura. “In a sense he ‘Fasts’ from the lax behaviors of just throwing things wherever he pleases out of laziness or putting off work to indulge in some pleasure.”
He smirked. “And she can help me get back on track whenever I don’t do it myself. Accountability helps.”
“There’s nothing wrong with taking pleasure in food, drink, and entertainment,” clarified Jacques. “All these things are gifts from God and a natural part of the world. However, if pleasure comes at the expense of that which is more important in life, we swiftly find ourselves losing control and, by extension, losing ourselves. Denying oneself in little ways frees us to be able to choose the best things for ourselves.”
“To pursue our special talents and vocations without distraction,” volunteered Antiquarian.
“And to help others to find the freedom to do it themselves as well,” said Aura.
Jacques spread his hands, palms open. “Saint Irenaeus once said that ‘the Glory of God is Man fully alive.’ Even if one isn’t religious, I believe that there is still great wisdom to be found in this statement. People are capable of incredible things when we are allowed to reach our full potential. Things which inhibit this pursuit, even if they are not bad in and of themselves, are hindrances upon the road to happiness and fulfillment. Fasting is, among other things related to penance and prayer for religious persons, a ready means of pursuing our own freedom by disciplining the body and spirit to have the control to choose aright how we shall spend our time.”
Antiquarian winked. “And, if you fast with friends, you can enjoy the sweet, sweet pleasure of making them suffer with you.” Jacques gave him a frosty look and Aura nudged him. “Oh, um, and you can enjoy the benefits of having an accountability partner and the mutual benefits which you both reap. Or something.”
Chuckling at the stallion’s antics, Jacques addressed the Fourth Wall. “We hope that you have all found something of merit in this little chapter, whatever your beliefs. May God bless you and your endeavors.” His lesson concluded, Jacques turned to his host. “Thank you kindly for letting me do this.”
“You’re welcome,” said Antiquarian warmly. “Now GET OUT OF MY CHAIR!”
*I love you please don’t hurt me 
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Well, I didn't.
If I can't stand "etymology", I'd be a miserable Wikipedian.
Sounds like me, except it's a computer instead of Netflix.
I...
I actually learned a life lesson from a supplemental.
I have to take this to heart.
9493937
Well, if you got something out of it, thank my mother. I happened to be visiting and she happened to have just learned the etymology of Fasting. There's an old expression about God working in mysterious ways that I spend a lot of time thinking about.
People leave at the prospect of etymology? Weird.
That was really edifying. And quite right about people not being taught the point. I was always told it was something about suffering building character and/or atoning for sins, basically. But that actually makes sense.
9494141
On a related topic, how about the etymology of breakfast? It's a piece of trivia that you might already know.
Since sleeping through the night means that you don't get to eat anything during that period, it's like a fast, and since eating the first meal of the day is akin to breaking that fast, break + fast = breakfast.
9494141
Speaking of mysterious ways, I'm very curious about what Jacques thinks of bad things happening to innocent people for no particular reason (as opposed to situations where someone specifically caused it). It's something that I haven't heard a coherent religious perspective on, despite the fact that there must be a tremendous amount of philosophy on it. So far, though, he's seemed a quite good teacher and able to explain complex topics simply.
9494157
Well, frankly, sin and atonement and such is also a huge a part of it in a religious context, especially Christianity. Jacques briefly alluded to that because I didn't want that to go unmentioned. However, since my readership is startlingly broad (and I didn't want the story to be too long), I decided to focus on the aspect of it which most strongly applies to everyone, regardless of their belief systems.
9494158
Indeed. Words are fascinating.
9494165
Suddenly, I feel like this is going to require another chapter or a blog post to answer. Which it will be will depend on a number of factors that I'll have to consider in the coming days, so I have no idea when I'll get around to it. I've actually heard what was (to me) a very compelling response, but it's not something that I can just pound out in a quick comment here.
9494186
Well whenever that comes out I'll be quite interested.
9494180
As part of that broad audience (the last time I had any particular religious instruction that wasn't self taught was in, oh, middle school?) I do very much appreciate the effort.
How very interesting. You explained this quite well. Nietzsche would approve.
... My primary addiction is extoling the benefits of breaking my primary addiction. I don't know how to feel about this.
Still, I can certainly apply it in many areas of my life. Thank you for a most thought-provoking aside.
This is surprisingly the same ideas I've been reading about and trying to apply in my life for the last few months. It's really hard and I struggle to make it work, sometimes forgetting I want to do this at all.
This really helped me get my mind on the right track again. I will try fasting, seems like a good way to exercise my self-control and decision making. Thank you.
This was... surprisingly really in line with what I've been taught about fasting, while at the same time far more eloquently put. Thanks for reminding me both of the wider applications of this concept (and of freedom through following rules/guidelines) and of how true it is that there is nothing new under the Sun (my favorite Old Testament quote).
I've decided that I really like you as a person and author.
9494606
9494712
9494812
Thank you
This was an absolutely stellar explanation about the virtues of fasting! I always love digging into the dimensions of how subjecting ourselves to mental, physical, and spiritual discipline gives us greater freedom; it's something that is often poorly-explained and thus misunderstood, but I think you did a great job of relaying it authentically.
So that's why I'm lonely!!! If i don't want to die Forever Alone, all I have to do is to stop talking about etymology!!
... Nah. Who needs people anyways; etymology is fun.
(?)Fun Fact That Probably Isn't Actually "Fun" (henceforth, "Fun FactTM"): I've been seeing a therapist for a couple of weeks now, one who thinks that Depression, rather than a "state of profound sadness" (the usual definition), is a "state of losing oneself" ("abandon of the self", I think might be a close enough translation), and he stressed pretty much the same thing (albeit with other, simpler and less "religious" words) to me in our latest session.
As you said in a comment, God works in mysterious ways. Somewhat paraphrasing my brother, "there's no such thing as a 'coincidence'".
On the other hand, hoof, claw... uhm... upper/frontal limb, if there is one thing I really like about this story and supplement (I mean, even more than everything else), it's explanations, discussions, or whatever, about religious or theological themes. Like Jacques/you said, religious instruction nowadays tends to be astonishingly lacking and poor, which is why chapters like this or the Non-canon Interlude in the main story are so informational and enjoyable.
9507731
Nothing happens purely by chance. I certainly hope and pray the therapy goes well.
I am now thinking I should probably take heed of Friar Jacques wisdom and do some fasting from my vices of playing games on my phone/computer, reading fimfiction, and slightly less than healthy eating habits being the big ones at the current moment.
9720582
Honestly, I should probably do the same. Glad you reminded me by commenting on this.
Stealing this for Advent and Lent.
Ven. Fulton Sheen would be proud of your good use of analogies.
10512096
Steal away. I stole at least one of the analogies (possibly more, I don't recall) from Bishop Barron.
Never thought that the most insightful look into both my religion and other things like fasting would come from a My Little Pony fanfiction of all things, thanks Antiquarian.
As a Muslim, this is so freaking true.
I think there's a general trend in too many domains that the rules of something are overemphasized in teaching, at the expense of the reasons behind those rules. As the famed physicist Richard Feynman put it:
People make a big deal about the supposed dichotomy between science and religion, but this is a vice that both domains share.
9507731
Glances at vice (clamping tight gripping thing) vs vice (bad habit).