Moderation

Practising it so that the best things do not become harmful

July 27th 2021
If we do not know how to draw the line, even the best things can become harmful. Unfortunately, moderation is not the most common of virtues among human beings. For example, instead of taking only as much joy or pleasure as they need to be stimulated, people gorge themselves until they fall sick. They are like the man whose friend had invited him to dinner: ‘Let me see’, he said, ‘Monday I’m having dinner with so-and-so, so Tuesday I’ll be in bed. Wednesday, I’m dining with someone else, so Thursday I’ll also be in bed. Well, I can make it Friday, if you like!’ At least he knew himself! Whether it is food, drink or pleasure, human beings always tend to go over the limit. Why can’t they be satisfied with just a little? Even poison can be beneficial if it is taken in homoeopathic doses. But except for medicines, human beings do not understand what homoeopathy is – they do not realize that there are homoeopathic doses and allopathic doses in the psychic life too, and that homoeopathic doses are preferable, whereas allopathic doses that are too strong are sometimes harmful.