Dear Bernard,,

Do you know how to party in moderation? Of course, this is the season with family and friends getting together. Add to that, work parties and so many other opportunities to get together to celebrate.

It may surprise you to know that the ancient Romans and Greek, both known for extravagant parties, expected moderation when they celebrated.

According to the Daily Stoic, the Greeks and the Romans were famous for watering down their wine. In fact, anyone who didn’t water down their wine was considered barbaric—someone who was out of control. The poet Hesoid—a favorite of Marcus and Seneca and many of the Stoics—actually said that three parts water and one part wine was the proper ratio. Nobody but the drunks drank their alcohol neat.

This practice wasn’t just about softening the punch of wine, which was quite strong in those days. It symbolized something deeper: moderation. They believed in tempering life’s pleasures, tempering their wine as well to create harmony and balance.

While we think of moderation primarily with adult beverages, this is a philosophy that related to all aspects of our lives.

Do we overuse social media? How about our cell phones? According to Cross River Therapy, The average person checks their phone every 12 minutes, or approximately 80 times per day. (There are more astonishing facts about our phones at the following link: Cell Phone Addictions.)

This, of course, is just one example. What are other areas of your life that can use moderation? Less coffee (for me!), less TV, eating less junk food? I am sure we all have our own. Watering things down is not always bad for us.

As the Stoics would say, "Don’t overdo anything. Don’t take virtue or vice in its pure or unadulterated form. Balance. Soften. Enjoy."

Lastly, this will be our last custom created Smart Moment for 2024. We are going to take our own advice and do less for the next 2 weeks. If we come across items that are worthy to send to you, they will be forwarded. Look for the return of Smart Moments on January 10, 2025.

As always, thanks for reading.