I’ve been sitting here trying to think of any issues I’ve had in my life with moderation. Besides diet (and who doesn’t), there really isn’t anything specific that I’ve dealt with when it comes to moderation. As odd as some people seem to react to it, I’ve never smoked a cigarette or even seen an illegal drug. Alcohol consumption is mild, and I have no addictions to anything (except checking e-mail, perhaps?).
However, moderation is a virtue that goes hand in hand with perseverance. Why? Perseverance is overcoming limitations, and moderation is creating them. The technicality is knowing which applies to the situation. Alcoholism, illegal drugs, mmorpg’s, all easily addicted to if not kept sane with moderation.
Moderation is the art of knowing yourself, being honest with yourself, and knowing your limits. We had a member in the Grove that struggled with moderation quite a bit; alcoholism to be more specific. It reached the point where several members were scared of him. It really took a lot of effort on his part, and even some failure, but he was able to work out a deal with himself on how to deal with his problem. His girlfriend took control of all of the money, there was no alcohol in the house, and he was to never walk into another bar for fear of unimaginable temptation.
Perhaps I do not understand addiction. I’ve never been addicted to anything before; I don’t really think I could allow myself to be. I’m too adamant about strength of mind and discipline. Perhaps this makes it hard for me to sympathize.
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