The toxicity of calling toxic those who aim to excel

In recent months there seems to be a curious trend: discipline, rigor, and self-control are often labeled as obsessions or toxic behaviors.

Yet in most cases we are not talking about people who impose their lifestyle on others. We are talking about people who simply decided to expect more from themselves.

Social contexts (not only business)

It often happens to me in social settings.

Not only in business, where it is more acceptable, but when I say that I eat twice a day, I often fast for 16/18 hours, I choose almost exclusively natural and unprocessed foods, I go to bed early and wake up early, I train and move every day, I have not watched television for years, I prefer reading books or listening to podcasts and educational content, I do not drink alcohol and my drink is sparkling water with ice and lemon, the reaction is often the same.

What kind of life is that?

Mine.

Not a model to impose

I am not saying it has to be yours too.

Everyone is free to live as they prefer. But those who are truly at peace with their own choices rarely feel the need to attack other people's.

Much more often, behind certain criticisms, I see an attempt to normalize habits that, deep down, people already know are not the best. It is easier to call extreme those who have discipline than to question one's own routines.

Inputs, outputs, and price

Body and mind are the result of the thousands of decisions we make every day. The quality of inputs matters.

Every choice has a cost, immediate or deferred.

I simply decided to pay the price of discipline today. I found my balance years ago, and honestly I prefer it to living with bad habits and the outputs they generate.

It is not superiority. It is a conscious preference.

Closing

Calling toxic those who aim to excel without imposing anything on anyone is a comfortable way not to look at one's own choices.

If discipline bothers you, maybe the problem is not the person who practices it.

It is the comparison it creates.