Interesting thread.
Rav Yitzchok Horowitz AKA R Iche Der Masmid HY’D was a renowned Chabad chassid who was very friendly with Rav E.E Dessler (He is brought down In Michtav Me’eliyhu 4th volume in section of Tzimtzumim) was machmir to the extreme. Recently I came across first hand account of someone who listened in to conversation when R Itche came to his Rebbe The Rasha”b and asked for a Tikkun for 2 “aveiros”.
In short the story went that he was in some town for shabbos and he asked host to make sure the shochet checked the Chalif again before he shechted his chicken (Chumra). On shabbos they served him kugel which had chicken fat supposedly from HIS chicken, he asked they verify and they were mistaken. It was fat from a ‘regular’ chicken. He didnt eat it.
Later the local Rav, a great Yorei Shamayim came to visit, saw the kugel and asked what happened, he was told and the rav proceded to eat it.
R Itche cried to the Rashab that “it is known that a chumra one accepts upon oneself that he in not up to spiritually, internally, it brings him down a madreiga”. Being that the Rav did eat it he felt he needs to rectify the exessive chumra effect.
Taking Chumros to impress, that affects others, or to be ‘in’ is definatly not a inyan