The earliest known use of the well-known idiom, “too much of a good thing,” dates back to 1430. It’s found in John Lydgate’s poem, “The Fall of Princes.” In this poem, Lydgate states, “For whoso hath too much of any good, of that same good he shall be soon bereft.”
What is “temperance Stoicism?”
The ancient Stoics were actually warning against too much of anything, good or bad, centuries earlier. Temperance, which is one of the four Stoic virtues along with wisdom, courage and justice, reminds us to experience everything in moderation. Temperance Stoicism demands that the Stoic practice self-control in the face of enticing situations, even enjoyable ones, and that they avoid going to extremes.
It’s not difficult to understand how temperance applies to food. Overindulging isn’t good for us, no matter how healthy our choices are. Eating a bag of apples is bound to make a person as sick as they would be if they ate an entire cake in one sitting. Too much coffee can give a person jitters, while drinking excessive amounts of alcohol has consequences all its own.
However, we don’t control our intake only because of potentially negative outcomes. We take steps to keep tempting treats out of our homes because indulging in them too often makes them less special. We stop to think about whether we really need what we’re about to eat. Temperance around consuming food and drink prevents these items from having too big of an influence over us. Temperance, in the Stoic view, also includes every other area of our lives.
We should discipline ourselves in small things, and from these progress to things of greater value.
Marcus Aurelius
Here are some of the major ways in which Stoics apply temperance to their life.
Work
If we’re lucky, work gives us a sense of satisfaction. But a job or career isn’t who we are. We’re human beings living on a natural planet with a place in the order of things. Spending too much time on work can keep us from spending time with our social circles, with our families and on other healthy activities.
We must take care to avoid becoming workaholics. Wealth is viewed with indifference by Stoics because it is, like all things, temporary. The real source of inner happiness lies in adhering to the four virtues.
Love and sex
Falling in love is a beautiful experience. Loving others is an important part of the human condition. But for some people, love is emotional quicksand that swallows them whole, to the exclusion of spending time with their friends and doing other things they used to do. Tempering that emotion keeps life in balance. It doesn’t mean loving someone less, it just means keeping a level head about it.
Shopping
Only buying what you need is a given when you’re adhering to temperance stoicism. But what about an irresistible deal you didn’t expect? BOGO sales are everywhere. If you really only need one of something, though, it’s probably not worth buying a second even at 50 percent off. This is one way we accumulate more stuff than we can use and end up with bulging closets. And for the record, while BOGO is perceived to be a half-off discount, it’s actually only 25 percent off the entire purchase.
Merchants and e-commerce companies constantly come up with ways to convince us to open our wallets. Whether it’s following hot trends, getting the “new and improved” version of an item or collecting points on purchases, you can’t blame them for trying to keep the debit machines humming. There’s nothing wrong with having nice things. It’s up to us to decide whether we really need something or if we’re riding a wave of consumerism. We can only use, look at and enjoy so many gadgets, and more doesn’t always mean better.
Eat merely to relieve your hunger; drink merely to quench your thirst; dress merely to keep out the cold; house yourself merely as a protection against personal discomfort.
Seneca, Letters from a Stoic
Упражнения
Our bodies are meant to move, but some people take workouts to the extreme. If loved ones complain that you’re spending too much time at the gym, or you find that you’re always sore after working out, you might be overdoing it. Sometimes people throw themselves into physical fitness to avoid other areas of their lives. When something is getting most of the attention, such as physical fitness, it can be a sign that recalibration is in order.
Grief and other emotions
It’s a common misconception that being a Stoic means lacking emotions, or that we Stoics are supposed to deny our feelings. This belief is both untrue and impossible. Stoics believe in feeling what they feel, but without allowing those feelings to linger too long or overtake their lives.
For example, it’s entirely appropriate to grieve the loss of a loved one. No one would expect otherwise. And while there is no rulebook for how long grief should last, life must eventually go on. The same goes for heartbreak, and this applies to positive emotions, too. Celebrate and enjoy life’s milestones, of course, but don’t get carried away. Both the highs and lows in life are temporary, and ought to be treated as such.
Relationships
Temperance applies to friendships and family members, too. Everyone has people like this in their lives, and Stoics avoid getting wrapped up in others’ drama, as temperance means withdrawing from involvement in situations we can do nothing about. Stoics simply refuse to take part; they avoid gossiping about or judging anyone else since we’re all doing the best we can.
There is no difference between knowledge and temperance; for he who knows what is good and embraces it, who knows what is bad and avoids it, is learned and temperate.
Socrates
6 regular check-in questions
All of the virtues require Stoics to conduct an honest check-in with themselves on a regular basis to assess how they’re doing. They might ask themselves:
- Am I being wise?
- Am I showing courage?
- Am I seeking justice?
- Am I practicing temperance?
- Is there anything in my life that’s becoming overwhelming?
- Is my life’s balance askew?
Stoicism is a continuous process. It’s a journey, just like life itself.
"СВЯЗАННОЕ ЧТЕНИЕ" HEDONISM VS. STOICISM: Are Stoicism’s 4 main virtues compatible with Hedonism?»
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