  If the spiritual life was considered a dominating or guiding influence in structuring one’s life, the way Santayana views reason, then one would be forced to choose between the life of reason and the life of the spirit as a monk or a nun must choose between the life of the world and that of the religious order. But for Santayana, no such conflict exists; spirituality is not choosing a way of living over an extended period of time. Indeed, any effort to choose such a life would be short lived, since the spiritual life is a life of receptivity to all that comes in the moment while suspending animal interests.  Suspending one’s specific natural interests, such as eating or sleeping, for any extended period would be both detrimental and tragic.