Too Human is Error

There is something human about excess.  Eating too much, kissing too much, drinking too much, talking too much.  It reminds me of Italy, art, expression, and the human condition.  However, I think it's also pretty human to try to monitor our excess and become more moderate.  The extreme, pseudo-manic aspects of humanity need to be controlled to some extent.

And yet, I think we can almost subconsciously get the feeling that we're giving up some important part of ourselves.  After all, I've heard the misquotation, "mediocrity in all things" more than a few times.  I can't help but humorously wonder if the persons who have misquoted this see moderation as a weakening of themselves, and therefore fail to get out the accurate saying, "moderation in all things."  Maybe I'm being too analytically Freudian.

Why might we feel insecure in moderation, and is our insecurity founded?  I won't address this too specifically, but perhaps it is due to a misunderstanding of moderation.

Concerning eating, kissing, drinking, and talking, I don't believe I'd bother arguing that excess is better than moderation.  Still, I abstain from alcohol entirely, and some astute individuals might note that abstinence is no more moderate than excess.  However, there are some situations where an imbalance is appropriate.  After all, in Revelations 3:16 it states, "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."  Dallin H. Oaks, a leader of the LDS church, once said that moderation in commitment "is not moderation, but indifference."

I think the Dhammapada, a Buddhist text, gets at the heart of moderation.  The Dhammapada says, "Even the gods hold dear the wise one, whose senses are subdued like horses well trained by a charioteer, whose pride is destroyed and who is free from the cankers."  Shortly after, it states, "Though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers himself."

The purpose of moderation isn't to minimize ourselves, or to face life incompletely.  The purpose is to be the masters of ourselves, and not given to every whim, or force of life's tides.  Our commitment, our efforts, our love, our hope, and our faith can be full without becoming slaves to circumstance.  Even (or especially) at our best, we can magnify our callings, amplify our efforts, and enjoy our endowments.