'Moderation In All Things' Is Ill-Considered Advice. Rather, One Should Say, 'Moderation In Most Things,' Since Many Areas Of Human Concern Require Or At Least Profit From Intense Focus
Submitted by freefortermpapers on 06/24/2008 03:00 PM
- Category: Religion
- Words: 511
- Pages: 3
- Views: 12
- Popularity Rank: 2639
'Moderation In All Things' Is Ill-Considered Advice. Rather, One Should Say, 'Moderation In Most Things,' Since Many Areas Of Human Concern Require Or At Least Profit From Intense Focus
Should we strive for moderation in all things, as the adage suggests? I tend to agree with the
speaker that worthwhile endeavors sometimes require, or at least call for, intense focus at the
expense of moderation.
The virtues of moderation are undeniable. Moderation in all things affords us the time and
energy to sample more of what life and the world have to offer. In contrast, lack of moderation
leads to a life out of balance. As a society we are slowly coming to realize what many astute
psychologists and medical practitioners have known all along: we are at our best as humans
only when we strike a proper balance between the mind, body, and spirit. The call for a
balanced life is essentially a call for moderation in all things.
For instance, while moderate exercise improves our health and sense of well-being, over
exercise and intense exercise can cause injury or psychological burnout, either of which defeat
our purpose by requiring us to discontinue exercise altogether. Lack of moderation in diet can
cause obesity at one extreme or anorexia at the other, either of which endangers one's health,
and even life. And when it comes to potentially addictive substances--alcohol, tobacco, and the
like--the deleterious effects of over-consumption are clear enough.
The virtues of moderation apply to work as well. Stress associated with a high-pressure job
increases one's vulnerability to heart disease and other physical disorders. And overwork can
result in psychological burnout, thereby jeopardizing one's job and career. Overwork can even
kill, as demonstrated by the alarmingly high death rate among young Japanese men, many of
whom work 100 or more hours each week.
Having acknowledged the wisdom of the old adage, I nevertheless agree that under some
circumstances, and for some people, abandoning moderation might be well...
You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!
