Moderation

In ancient Greece, the temple of Apollo at Delphi bore the inscription Meden Agan (μηδὲν ἄγαν)—"Nothing in excess".

According to the historian and sociologist of science Steven Shapin:[1] From the pre-Socratics through the Hippocratic and Galenic corpus, and in the writings of such Stoic philosophers as Epictetus and Seneca, health was seen to flow from observing moderation—in exercise, in study, and in diet.In Christianity, moderationism is the position that drinking alcoholic beverages temperately is permissible, though drunkenness is forbidden (see Christianity and alcohol).

The Jewish philosopher Maimonides, who was heavily influenced by Islamic and Aristotelian thought, also set forth moderation as an ideal within Judaism.

[4] Moderation is considered a key part of one's personal development in Chinese Taoist philosophy and religion.

It is believed that by doing so one achieves a more natural state, faces less resistance in life, and recognises one's limits.