That Aristotle Bloke Might Have Had a Point …

woman eating pink and yellow lollipop
Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com

It is rather ironic that I write endlessly about moderation. But in truth, I am fascinated by it.

Now, according to that fellow Aristotle, the Golden Middle Way is the desirable middle ground between two extremes; one being that of excess and the other, of deficiency.

As an example, he uses courage as a virtue, being in this case the Golden Middle Way. But if that courage is taken to excess, it would manifest as recklessness and, in deficiency, as cowardice!

Ooooh I love these Ancient Greek philosophers with their faintly dodgy beards … they were a clever bunch of cookies.

So what is it that makes some people so able to maintain the ‘Golden Middle Way’ in their lives, and yet others follow the path of extremes? Is it simply self control, or are we born that way?

Why is it that I absolutely have to eat an entire packet of ginger biscuits in one sitting, whereas my lovely friends would only have one or two? Perhaps I’m overthinking this and I’m simply more hungry.

Katie xx

Ps. Exactly what is it that you have a lack of self control over? (Ahem! Nothing smutty if you please)

Pps.  Sorry about the picture, I couldn’t find one of Aristotle, so this will have to suffice.

 

27 thoughts on “That Aristotle Bloke Might Have Had a Point …”

  1. Ways in which the middle is really cool:

    Bisexuality
    Gender fluidity
    Political discourse
    Literally being in the middle Of 2 people
    Safely riding a bicycle in the street where people see you

    Less cool:

    Middle seat on a plane
    Grade curve
    Two friends at war
    Standing out from the crowd

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  4. 😀 Definitely a good placeholder picture for Aristotle.

    I really think different people have different temptations, failings, Achilles’ heels, etc. That, and one becomes better at self-mastery through practicing self-mastery.

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  5. Food wise, chocolate digestives or hob nobs (must be plain chocolate though, the milk ones are too sweet for me), Pringles are pretty killer too, though we only have them two or three times a year at Christmas or a birthday, and plain choc, preferably 85% Green and Blacks. You already knew this!

    Otherwise, the only thing is probably cameras. Used to be film cameras, lenses, and film but I got over that. Lately I’ve bought too many old digital compacts that I can reasonably use and enjoy.

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    1. Oh and I’m also far more impatient that I would generally like, especially with anything fiddly like opening one of those silly packets of ham with a little flap in the corner, which under even the lightest of pressure comes off between your fingers and you’re left to attack the still sealed packet with a sharp kitchen knife, and any outcome where the ham is successfully accessed and fingers remain intact and blood free can be considered a triumph… Or is that just me?

      Don’t even get me started on clingfilm…

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      1. Oooh yes! And you can’t use s normal knife to stab it, it has to be a really sharp pointy one … absolutely lethal when I’m already cross because the little plastic tab has come off. Cling film, yes …. makes me even madder. The worst for me is probably sellotape when the end is stuck to the roll and you can’t find it, and then you pick at it and just little thin strips come off … drives me potty, absolutely potty.

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      2. Well the sellotape thing doesn’t happen in our house. It annoys my wife so much that we always overlap the end when we put it away, so it doesn’t get lost.

        Ever had trouble ripping the cling film, so you tug a bit harder and the whole tube flips out of the outer box and goes rolling across the floor wasting about three metres of irretrievably crumpled cling film in the process? It’s funny thinking about it now, but infuriating at the time…

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      3. Absolutely I get that! Unfortunately, two teenage boys always left wrapping presents until the day before Christmas or a birthday so were therefore forever in a mad rush and clearly had no time (or I hadn’t taught them) to tuck in the end of the sellotape so the next person had to deal with the unpicking of the wretched sticky stuff. That is of course if they had put it back in the correct drawer where it lived, rather than leaving it on the floor for the dog to chew. She used to love doing that … but made it all the more difficult to unpick …

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    2. Yes, I’m with you on the Pringles front. It’s completely impossible just to have one or two. In fact it would be positively rude! As for you and your dark chocolate – well, my mother used to say that if one had nothing nice to say, it would be preferable therefore to remain silent! And I just can’t think of anything nice to say about dark chocolate! 😉 (Do you like white chocolate at all??)

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      1. When I was a child I do recall enjoying a Milky Bar now and then. Actually loved Dairy Milk, Galaxy, all that back then. My tastes – or rather my tolerance for sweetness – have just evolved so much. I just can’t stomach the sweet stuff anymore, and the G&B 85% is pretty much perfection in chocolate form… Maybe in 20 years you’ll see the light… ; )

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  6. When feeling irritable and requiring munchies aka ginger biscuits. I find it is the munching removes anxiety or it pacifies. Though considering replacing my munchies for an apple, it healthier and gives the same crunchy need.

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