Moderation is gray. I don’t mean it is dull; I mean it is that shading in between the black and white of all or nothing. It is not a pin point or a thin line, but a broad spectrum that bridges the extremes. But does is this spectrum actually benefit us in our everyday lives?
“Of course it is!” I hear you say. “That is why I went for the chicken salad rather than the pizza at lunch, and why I only had one glass of wine last night”. Moderation is the health balance that keeps us fit, sober, and out of gaol.
Or is it?
You see, whilst I whole heartedly support the infinite pursuit of not-quite-enough, I am not convinced that it is necessarily the most profitable way forward. By ‘profitable’ I don’t mean economically – I mean in terms of that whole make-life-a-bit-more-woo-hoo thing.
“Evidence?” you say? Well, obviously a large part of my argument is based upon my own conjecture, but lets have a think through a couple of examples; in fact, lets take the two you mentioned earlier…
So you chose that rubbery chicken salad over the Hawaiian with extra mozzarella. And, this is already after keeping yourself to one glass of Pinot Grigio (although I write this whilst enjoying and highly recommending a fine Argentinean Malbec – a 2008 Gestos if you are interested). You made the right decision didn’t you? You kept well away from the extremes of starvation, abstinence, gluttony, and inebriation. But hang on, what is better – wanting the pizza but buying the salad, or buying the salad because that is what you want? Or having one glass of wine but jealously watching others have a second, or drinking as much as you want but that happens to be just one glass?
Moderation you see, is an exercise in martyrdom. It is waving a flag saying “I have self control and am a Good Person”. It is also an acknowledgement to ones self that you are not getting what you want – a life of moderation is simply the worst of all worlds.
What we should be doing is tempering our actual behaviours. If you have an endless desire for junk food, or a constant craving for gin, then tackle those desires – fight those demons. Put your time, energy and effort into steering your instincts, rather than hiding behind a mask of moderation.
