Wisdom In All Things Special Series
You might say that it was Benjamin Franklin’s disillusionment with a sermon on Philippians 4:8 that was at least partly responsible for his conceiving of “the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection” that is his 13 virtues.
A wise life is a virtuous life. There is an expectation of behavior from someone who claims to be wise. This 13-part series will seek to help us understand a life that is exemplified by the characteristics elevated by this great American statesman.
EXPOSE | Moderation
“Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.” – Benjamin Franklin
EXPLORE | Moderation In All Things
If you were to read further about how this virtue played out in Franklin’s life, you would find that it may have had more to do with moderating the expression of his opinion, than with the abuse of things like alcohol or gambling. For Franklin, the application was transformative. Indeed, you could describe it as an early version of “how to win friends and influence people”:
“This habit [of being too positive or negative when sharing his opinion], I believe, has been of great advantage to me when I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions, and persuade men into measures that I have been from time to time engaged in promoting; and, as the chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade, I wish well-meaning, sensible men would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming manner, that seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat everyone of those purposes for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving or receiving information or pleasure.” – Benjamin Franklin
It might seem impossible that you could describe achieving moderation in just one word. But I think Cameron Gunn may be on to something. When you think of someone who is moderate, it is certainly fair to describe them as being polite. And certainly, you would call Benjamin’s urging as a call to be polite.
“I think that the core of Franklin’s moderation boils down to a quality identified by Alan Houston: politeness. Houston notes that Franklin sought to emulate the sensible man who was “moderate, cultivated, sociable, and self-disciplined”. This “man of sense” was, in short, polite.” – Cameron Gunn
His efforts toward moderating the expression of his opinions align with how the dictionary defines moderation: “the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one’s behavior or political opinions.”
However, in this way, both Merriam-Webster and Franklin are in direct opposition to the mindset, and behavior, of exactly where our culture has been tracking for some time. Now, moderation is what you avoid, while extremes are what you embrace, pursue, live for—as if to argue that moderation is an extreme to be avoided.
More to the point is that moderation is to be applied broadly. That is, we are to moderate the expression of our opinions, just as we moderate the consumption of ice cream.
EXECUTE | Living in Moderation
Moderation is about choice. What we choose, or not choose, is key to avoiding unnecessary and undesirable consequences. It is a proper understanding and balance of our wants and needs.
The Way Through to Moderation
No surprise, it is living with intentionality. Intend to live inside the edges. Draw the lines on this side of the extremes. Stay in bounds. It is why good golfers take such time and care to make the right shot.
But our lives shouldn’t be lived by being overly aware or too deliberate about what NOT to do. Instead, decide what you should do, and you won’t be unnecessarily distracted by the extremes. The golfer isn’t just trying not hit into the pond, or the bunker, or the gallery, but is focused on where he wants the ball to go—not where he doesn’t want it to go.
So it is with living a life of moderation. When we focus on what we can’t or shouldn’t do, that is all we think about. Rather, after intentionally laying out appropriate and helpful boundaries, you’ll be able to roam and frolic freely within. In this way, moderation is freeing! We are free from the burden of the pursuit and consequences of excess.
O Be Careful Little Eyes What You See
If “we are what we eat”, then we do as we see. This can either be a good thing or a potentially hazardous thing. When we’re unsure of how to do something, we can look to others to ‘see’ how it is done. But unfortunately, when we want to fit in, we can be too willing to do as others are doing.
Given the power of what we view to persuade, it is crucial that we scrutinize what we allow ourselves to see, just as we should do with what we eat. The abstract, The Factors Affecting the Life of Moderation, bears out this point, in particular to living a life of moderation:
“The sole negative driver of living a life in moderation was the exposure to advertising through the media.” – Orose Leelakulthanit
Monitor Your Stimulation
If we chase what we feel, it will only lead to wanting more stimulation, which in turn can lead us quickly to extremes. Moderating how often, how much, and by what we are stimulated can be both a barometer of, and protector from, the extremes we need to avoid.
Too much stimulation overloads our sensory circuits. It is thus essential to unplug and get away. The best thing to do is to periodically tear out into the outdoors. Leave your phone and computer behind. – Brett McKay, The Art of Manliness
Delay Your Gratification
Planning, saving, and waiting. When we think through something, work toward it over time, and simply just deny ourselves the stunted pleasure that immediate gratification provides, we experience a greater depth of satisfaction. Putting off the pay-off will optimize our experience with whatever it is we desire, and, allow us to have a proper and healthy relationship to it.
The more you hold out for something, the greater the pleasure you’ll experience when you finally attain it. Have you ever noticed that the anticipation of a holiday can be just as good and sometimes better than the actual holiday itself? Hold out for things and enjoy the exquisite pleasure of anticipation. – Brett McKay, The Art of Manliness
Thoroughly Enjoy “The Few”
Our pleasure or satisfaction is not in “the many”, but in being thoroughly satisfied with “the few”. This might be the other side of the coin to monitoring our stimulation. Rather than seek more things, it will be most gratifying to us if we are more meticulous about our enjoyment of what we currently have or are doing. There may be more “juice left in the lemon”, so to speak, that requires another long squeeze rather than tossing it for another.
When we feel unhappy and bored there are two ways to revive our feelings of enjoyment and pleasure. One is to seek new things and more stimulation. You can start going out more, and buying more new things and experiences. But the pleasure you get from ratcheting up the intensity of these experiences will eventually end in a plateau. The alternative is to cultivate the virtue of moderation by seeking greater enjoyment and pleasure in things you are already doing now. – Dr. Andy Garrett
This too is the abundant life God has called us to. Abundant doesn’t sound moderate. Abundant life is in the width, the depth, and the breadth of the few things, not in the flirting and flitting with the many.
Warning: Don’t Misapply Moderation
All this talk about avoiding extremes can also be an extreme to avoid. There may be times that we use the idea of “all things in moderation” to suppress a very bold step we are being asked, or required, to take.
“I worry that many Christians have subconsciously taken this to heart and live in agreement with the statement “moderation is best in all things...” letting the idea of staying in the middle become as formational to our identity as our devotion to Christ Himself.” – David Wetherell
From Christ’s sacrifice for us to our call to resist sin to the point of bloodshed, God’s response to sin, and subsequently what ours should be, is anything but moderate.
The paradox is that the better life is a life lived in moderation, not in excess. We are most fulfilled when we fill up on a few things. When we are intentional about deeply nurturing those key soul-satisfying, world-changing characteristics, behaviors, and interests.
Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues – ebook & audio set
Drawing inspiration from Paul’s letter (Phil. 4:8) and Benjamin Franklin’s quest for virtuous living, this e-book and audio set aims to explore and put into practice these virtues as we exercise Wisdom In All Things.
Benjamin Franklin’s Grand Plan
Franklin’s “meticulous execution” of his 13 virtues was embodied in a chart he developed in order to observe and quantify his growth toward perfection.
There are a number of examples of his chart available, but here is one for reference from Homeschool Patriot:
Whether you use this chart, or devise something yourself, it is certainly in your best interest to have some tool in place to not only keep you focused, but to establish the habit of intentional growth in those characteristics that make up the virtuous life.
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Further reading:
Franklin autobiography
The factors affecting the life of moderation
Is moderation the best policy?
What is your idea of moderation?
Practice the good life with Ben Franklin
The virtuous life: moderation
