Temperantia – restraint; temperance, temperature; moderation; self-control
– WordHippo
Between my flaky internet connection and my exhaustion, this is going to be a relatively short post. Thankfully, this virtue is easily understood once its vice is in hand.
So What is Restraint?
Restraint – a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control or within limits; the action of keeping someone or something under control; unemotional, dispassionate, or moderate behavior; self-control
– Oxford dictionary (emphasis added)
So, simply, it’s not going bonkers. Why not? Isn’t going a little crazy fun?
But that’s just it: going a little crazy can be fun, but going a lot crazy isn’t. At all. And it’s likely to have consequences that are very far from the realm of fundom.
Let’s Break This Down
The fundamental division in the soul or psyche is at the root of our need for moderation.
– Harry Clor, On Moderation: Defending an Ancient Virtue in a Modern World
Let’s take an example, shall we? (We shall.) Water is essential to all life as we know it. Humans are recommended to drink water above any other beverage, and going without water for an extended period of time can prove lethal. (Estimate three days of zero consumption until fatal dehydration.)
But that doesn’t mean you should go try to drink an entire lake. The body can only process so much water. Drinking too much results in hypoatremia, also known as water poisoning, water intoxication, or, as most of us would say in a fatal case, drowning. (Keep your consumption under a liter per hour to stay on the safe side.)
So we can’t just quit water, but we can definitely go overboard, too.
Too Little, Too Much, Then Goldilocks
Our outer boundaries are basically to not die, but we can do better than that. So, as for water, it’s best to aim to drink a cup or two (8-16 ounces) per hour: that’s well within our bounds and is generally associated with good health.
But what about other stuff? How do I know when it’s too much or too little?
There are no hard and fast rules. The question you have to ask yourself – and honestly answer – is whether your relationship with that thing – food, exercise, the new board game parlor on Elm street, or whatever – is negatively impacting your life. It’s the same mental inquiry used for checking for addiction: is your relationship with this thing hurting you?
Every time we give of ourselves in some way, we necessarily can’t give ourselves that same way. Think of experiencing time: when you spend a moment doing something, you can’t spend that same moment doing something else. There’s no way to get that moment back. (So why waste a moment on a whine when you could instead use it for a laugh?)
But sometimes these moments are well spent. For example, how many hours does America spend traveling for Thanksgiving festivities? A lot. I spent days (about 33 hours) on travel time this year just getting to and from regions. That doesn’t include going to any events upon arrival, just my town to the target town and back on either side of visitations.
And yet I wouldn’t trade any of it. The five days with my brother, his wife, and my niece? Priceless. Worth every headache. Worth the middle seat on the plane both directions. It balanced out.
And that’s the trick: balance.
So What are We to Do About Gluttony?
The rule of fasting is this: to remain in God with mind and heart, relinquishing all else, cutting off all pandering to self, in the spiritual as well as in the physical sense. We must do everything for the glory of God and for the good of our neighbor, bearing willingly and with love the labours of the fast and privations in food, sleep, and relaxation, and foregoing the solace of other people’s company. All these privations should be moderate so as not to attract attention and not to deprive us of strength to fulfill the rule of prayer.
– Theophan the Recluse, The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology
We are called to cling to love. Love may make demands on us for ourselves or for others, and we should respond lovingly to those demands. Enjoy whatever it is that suits your fancy – so long as it isn’t hindering your ability to love yourself or others.
Summary
Temperantia isn’t about giving something up entirely; it’s the notion of balance in our lives. Just as there can be too much of something, there can also be too little of it. We neither want to drown nor die from dehydration, but rather, we want to flourish by indulging the right amount in water.
What do you think? Do you have any tips on moderation? Let us know in the comments!
Song of the Day
- Run Devil Run by Crowder
This dose of “caffeine for your ears” helped me to get through tonight. (It’s been a long few days.) It’s a fun little ditty, definitely worth a 3minute-and-45second listen!
