TEMPERENCE

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Temperance is the practice of moderation.

Classically, temperance was defined as governing natural appetites for the pleasure of senses according to the bounds of reason. No virtue could be sustained in the face of inability to control oneself, if the virtue was opposed to some desire; this is why it is classified as a cardinal virtue, where "cardinal" signifies "pivotal."

The virtues of abstinence, chastity, and modesty are considered sub-classes of the virtue of temperance, as it governs the practice of eating and drinking, practice of sexual intercourse, and the restraint of vanity.

There's a word you don't hear much anymore - temperance. Yet, the idea has stood the test of time. Today, we throw around the phrase "everything in moderation" and moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes (again, from Wikipedia). While, certainly, there are some things that I don't even want to do a "little", for the most part, I agree that moderation is a pretty good standard to go by.