Get down from there! Simeon Stylites and the pillar of Austerity

You had enough of people?

They are awful aren't they? With their faces and clothes, their opinions and breath, their lives and thoughts. Disgusting.

There are two ways of dealing with your misanthropy. 

The first is to kill everyone in the entire world. This is a costly exercise and would probably be quite tiring so why not try the second option.

Why not live on the top of a pillar or pole?

Simeon Stylites did it and was made a saint for his trouble. And his day is celebrated on July 24th.

Mind you he probably hated the fact he was in a club with all the other saints. Because they were people. And people are awful. 

"God those guys are tall" thought Simeon jealously.

Simeon was an ascetic. He gave up worldly goods and lived a life of poverty to honour God. He was so irritating that the other monks thought he was showing them up asked him to leave. It was then that he decided to live on top of a pillar to escape humanity. People would bring him food and I assume someone cleaned the bottom of the pillar every so often.