Simple Stoic Advice
On Moderation
On Moderation
The beautiful thing about Stoic philosophy is the advice contained within it is just as applicable today as it was when it was first written all those many years ago. We can learn a great deal from interpreting the advice provided and using it to our advantage as we go throughout our own lives.
Today’s quote comes to us courtesy of Epictetus, Enchiridion, entry 39:
Quote
“Each man’s body is a measure for his property, just as the foot is a measure for his shoe. If, then, you abide by this principle, you will maintain the proper measure, but if you go beyond it, you cannot help but fall headlong over a precipice, as it were, in the end. So also in the case of your shoe; if once you go beyond the foot, you get first a gilded shoe, then a purple one, then an embroidered one. For once you go beyond the measure there is no limit.”
Advice
Today the Stoic virtue of Temperance is most associated with moderation. To the Stoics, Temperance was a part of our mindfulness as we need to use reason to moderate our actions. But without having self-awareness, how are we to bring about moderation?
Another way to think of Temperance: we require self-discipline in order to live in moderation.
We live in a world where nearly everything is at our fingertips. We are provided the opportunity to buy nearly anything in the world through Amazon; we are provided credit to allow ourselves to overextend and buy more than what is needed; we find ourselves trying to “keep up with the Joneses.”
But this all leads to problems as we place value in material things. We find ourselves over eating, over spending, and allowing glutton to run free.
The power of consumerism and purchasing has never been as great as it is today.
Seneca once remarked to his brother in his essay, On Anger:
“Virtue alone is elevated and lofty. Nothing is great unless it’s also at peace.”
There is no peace without moderation. The more we give in to our desires, the less moderation we utilize. But there is always a limit. The body can only eat so much food. The credit card can only be charged so many times. We can only compete with out neighbors for so long.
Cicero, in commenting on old age, addresses this as:
“[If] Reason and wisdom aren’t enough to make us reject lustful desires, then we should be grateful that old age takes away the craving to do what is wrong. For such feelings cloud our judgment, are at war with reason, and, if I may say so, blind the eyes of the mind and allow no room for living a good life.”
We combat consumerism and over indulging by objectively looking at what is before us. We relinquish its control over us and lean into moderation the more we objectively view the world around us. By removing emotions from externals, we no longer get caught up in fear, jealousy, contempt, or envy. We are able to objectively view the world and live more moderately for what is right for us.
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