Thoughts on Abstinence & Celibacy

I keep getting asked about this, so I give my answer in this video. To summarize, I don't really have an opinion on whether or not people should experiment with abstinence. It's entirely up to the individual. However, I HAVE noticed that people approach it in different ways, some with much more success than others. Some essentially refrain from any kind of sexual activity, but still let their minds to dwell on those thoughts. Not to mention that it's hard to avoid the hypersexuality in media (sex sells, as they say). The idea is to channel the sexual frustration you have into productivity or some kind of life improvement. While it's debatable whether or not this approach has merit, it DOES seem to result in the significant side-effects. Anecdotally, I notice a preoccupation with sex, extreme aggression, and moodiness with individuals that go down this path. And more interesting (and more difficult) approach, in my opinion, is to abstain from sexual thoughts. This seems to be the approach taught in some monasteries and religious practices. This develops less frustration and also gives us the benefit of training our minds to focus on what we choose, not what we are given. Anyway, as usual, that's just my opinion. Like I said at the beginning, you can choose to abstinent or not. I respect your choice either way. I'm not recommending one over the other. Hope everyone is doing well!