[margalabargala]

That's your opinion. The author apparently has a different one.

I would point out that in Western society there have been groups such as religious orders dedicated to the "virtue of poverty" for at least 8 centuries[0] so this is not exactly a new idea.

I'm sure that back then, the ideas probably elicited at least one similar reaction from someone in the equivalent of your position. But enough other people found those ideas sufficiently inspiring that the group has persisted since 1208. It seems unreasonable to call "cruel" something that has given meaning to so many people.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi#Founding_of_...

[pseudalopex]

Religious orders are voluntary.

[margalabargala]

Yes, just like the lifestyle that the author promotes here. They are not forcing you to quit their job, they are encouraging you to voluntarily make that choice. If the article was titled "Join the Franciscan Monks" and was about the benefits the author perceived from making that choice rather than what they did, the article would similarly mention the "virtues of poverty".

One person choosing, for personal reasons, a situation that another person had forced upon them and dislikes, is not inherently cruel.