Moderation. It’s an old teaching isn’t it? From “you can have too much of a good thing”, to common advice to moderate any kind and food, drink, or anything else in fact! But it’s not a very attractive quality, in that it lacks excitement; it’s the antithesis of passion.
“Follow your passion” might be a popular teaching, but who says “follow your moderation”?
Montaigne didn’t like extremes. It was popular in the sixteenth century for people to admire states of ecstasy, particular in poetry, fighting and falling in love. The idea was you should go “all in” in those pursuits but he didn’t go along with that.
The qualities he valued were curiosity, sociability, kindness, fellow-feeling, adaptability, intelligent reflection, the ability to see things from another’s point of view, and goodwill.
I’m with him on all of that!
He never aspired to be some kind of hero, and was suspicious of people who had high, lofty, ambitions. He said…
Living appropriately is our great and glorious masterpiece.
One of my favourite tarot cards is “Temperance”….it’s a lovely image of flow, of balance, and, hey, of moderation.
I suppose the great thing about moderation or temperance, as portrayed in this image, is balance…..balance and flow. The liquids pouring from one cup to another and back again, the character with one foot in water and one on dry land.
There’s a special kind of balance which I really like – integration. When things are integrated they achieve a creative, productive, healthy dynamic balance. That concept didn’t exist in Montaigne’s day but it’s the modern day equivalent of his “temperately”.
Heroes Not Zombies 
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