Temperance (Sōphrosynē)
Definition in Stoic Context
Temperance is self-control—the ability to moderate desires and impulses to stay aligned with reason. It involves balance, restraint, and harmony in thought and action.
Origins and Philosophical Roots
The virtue of temperance also comes from Socratic and Platonic ethics. The Stoics, however, made it practical and daily—not asceticism, but moderation that ensures you’re not a slave to pleasures or passions.
It’s a refusal to be pulled off course by excessive emotion, appetite, or indulgence.
Contemporary Application
- Moderation: In food, entertainment, spending, or work—temperance means using things wisely, not being used by them.
- Impulse Control: Responding to anger with composure, or choosing patience over instant gratification.
- Simplicity: Valuing what is enough and resisting the urge for more.
- Example: A person who pauses before reacting in anger, or who declines overindulgence for the sake of long-term health, practices Stoic temperance.