a word

Ascetic – adj.- from ‘one that works/ exercises, hermit’.
1: practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline
2: austere in appearance, manner, or attitude

Instead of screaming about how much of my time is sacrificed to reading and how unbefuckinglievably difficult graduate school is, I can pretend that I have taken an ascetic vow, and relax in warm pool of moral pride (whist rapidly turning pages).

Alacrity- n. – promptness in response: cheerful readiness

Instead of telling the professor she’ll get the paper when it’s god damn done, I can resemble the very picture of alacrity and tell her I’ve already written it, I just have to locate the file (whist mentally composing in haste).

Anathema –n-
1 a: one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority b: someone or something intensely disliked or loathed . . . 2 a: a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication b: the denunciation of something as accursed c: a vigorous denunciation: curse

Instead of curling into the fetal position and questioning my every ability I can simply promise myself that in my next life I will treat all institutions of education as anathema and do something rewarding and relaxing, like sewage filtering or rusty needle collecting.

Tags: alacrity, anathema, ascetic, I'm running away to join the circus.