Nov 23 2009
The Lost Virtue of Temperance – When Vices Are Good For You
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” – Benjamin Franklin
We humans tend to live in extremes. Most people who drink, drink to get drunk. If not, it is because they don’t drink at all. Most people who smoke, chain smoke packs of cigarettes a day. The rest of us stare them down while exaggerating our coughs to show how disgusting they are. We gorge ourselves on fatty foods, or obsessively count calories (or carbs). We surround ourselves with sexually charged entertainment, or blush at statues in the local art gallery. This is our nature, which is the whole reason temperance was once a virtue we strived for, because it is so contrary to our nature but oh-so good for us! Continue Reading »
