As a lifelong student of human behavior and personal growth, I've often encountered the age-old adage of "moderation in all things."
While this principle has stood the test of time, I've come to realize that it's not always the best approach.
In this article, I'll challenge this conventional wisdom and explore when moderation serves us well and when it's better to embrace extremes.
Join me as we look into this thought-provoking topic that could reshape how you approach various aspects of your life.
The Ancient Wisdom of Moderation: A Critical Look
I am confidentāwithout doing a statistical surveyāthat most people would agree with the axiom, āmoderation in all things is the best policy,ā first found vaguely in the writings of the Greek poet Hesiod (about 700 B.C.) and then expressed word for word by the Roman dramatist Plautus in about 200 B.C.
But does relative acceptance and establishment by timeāabout 2500 yearsāmake a principle true? No, it doesnāt. The truth is, whether moderation is a virtue depends on what exactly is being moderated.
Suppose weāre talking about a substance or behavior that is good at one quantity or frequency but becomes detrimental at a different quantity or frequency.
Letās look, for example at sex, food, or pain-killing drugs. If these are used none at all, weād have no people, starvation, and needless pain.
If theyāre used excessively, we get sex addiction, obesity, and drug addiction.
The Dangers of Moderation in Virtues and Values
So with some substances or behaviors, moderation is wisdom, but moderation needs to be discarded when considering obviously good or destructive substances or behaviors.
Take virtue, for example. Should we be moderate with virtue? Or love? Nah, letās go crazy with virtue and love, incorporating and spreading them as much as humanly possible.
What about crime or intolerance or hated? Should we exercise moderation, or is it obvious that we should avoid them completely?
Real LoveĀ®: Balancing Enthusiasm with Wisdom
What about Real LoveĀ®? Can this be taken too far? Is moderation sometimes the solution? Sure. We can be way too pushy about teaching Real LoveĀ® principles, so moderation would be useful.
Giving can be a part of loving, to take another example, but at its extreme it results in loss of our identity and depletion of our energy. Again moderation would be wise.
Embracing Extremes: The Case for Full Commitment
Why is this discussion about moderation useful? Because people often talk about the need for balance, as though it were always good. But no, sometimes we donāt need more ābalance.ā
We need simply to identify what things need more moderation and then go wild and crazy with the rest: love, creativity, kindness, courage, faith, and more.
Often we donāt need balance. The world needs more full-tilt commitment to goodness, commitment with utter abandon.
Quotes to Inspire: Challenging Moderation
āI'm the foe of moderation, the champion of excess. I'd rather be strongly wrong than weakly right." (Tallulah Bankhead)
āTo enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.ā (Robert A. Heinlein)
āFear and dull disposition, lukewarmness and sloth, are not seldom wont to cloak themselves under the affected name of moderation." (John Milton)