To know
“The jumble of human heart“, the writer Manzoni called the passions. The passions They are not bad in themselves, but they can grow and subdue the man. Therefore, it requires a virtue to self-master: temperance, which Aristotle calls enkráteia, which means “power over oneself.” He makes it a requirement for happinessbecause without it man falls slave to his passions and self-destructs. At his hearing, Pope Francisco addressed the temperancefourth cardinal virtue, frequently praised by Holy Scripture.
To think
Cyrus, the powerful king of the Persians, at the age of twelve did not allow wine to be put in his cup. His grandfather, king of the Medes, asked him why he did it, especially at parties, where everyone drank. His grandson answered: «I fear being poisoned. At the banquet, I noticed that a servant gave you that poison. His grandfather, surprised by him, told him: “But Ciro, how do you think of that?” His grandson explained to him: “At the party I saw that everyone who had drunk felt that their body was paralyzed and then their spirit; They shouted so loudly that neither of them paid attention to what the other was saying. Then they sang a silly song and swore it was the most beautiful song. When they got up to dance, they couldn’t stand up, much less dance. “They didn’t know who they were: you didn’t know you were the king, and the others didn’t behave like your subjects.”
Without temperance, passions take control of our person, displacing reason. Let’s think if we allow ourselves to be poisoned.
To live
In a world that exalts excesses and the wildnessthe temperance It is rare, but it helps us organize the heartmaster the instincts already live with wisdom, honestly using the created goods. Paradoxically, when you voraciously want to try everything, you lose your taste for everything, sinking into boredom. For example, says Pope Francis, who appreciates a good wine, savors it and enjoys it little by little, and does not swallow it all at once. Temperance allows you to enjoy goods and pleasures more, and provides true joy.
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