Definition
Moderation, often translated as temperance, is one of the four cardinal Stoic virtues, alongside wisdom, justice, and courage. It is the disciplined governance of desire and aversion — knowing what to want, how much to want it, and when to refuse.
Moderation is not mere abstinence. It is the rational sizing of appetite, so that pleasures, comforts, and ambitions serve a well-ordered life rather than dominate it.
Why it matters
How it works
The Stoics held that desires become harmful when they outrun what reason endorses. The immoderate person treats a preference as a need and a comfort as a necessity, and so is thrown into distress whenever the desired thing is absent.
Moderation works by asking, before acting, whether a desire is reasonable and proportionate. The Stoic may still enjoy food, company, or success, but does so as something welcome rather than required. By practicing voluntary restraint, they confirm that their contentment does not hang on any single external good.