No one can do the same thing at all times, and be healthy.
Not just in politics but in life, proportion is an important value. It is related to judgment, which is a component of wisdom.
“Temperance is the dispositional or habitual appetite for and pleasure-taking . . . insofar as a correct concerned understanding involving reflection and practical wisdom about the important things of human life on which such appetites and pleasures touch has properly adjusted, qualified, or moderated those appetites and pleasures.” It is one of the six values in the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths.
“Temperance concerns medicine because of its connection with health, ethics because it involves not only the good life for the individual but also the welfare of other creatures.” Health professionals are interested in interventions, when indicated. “. . . a better understanding of the human virtue of temperance has the potential to unlock new treatments for a range of psychological issues such as depression, relationship conflict, impulsiveness, and anxiety.” The principles of temperance can be applied to areas of life in addition to food, drink, and sex: leadership has been mentioned in this regard.
Much of the research and scholarship on life balance is about work-life balance, which is relevant to leadership in work environments. Balance is also important in romantic relationships, leisure activities, recreation, and probably every aspect of life: everything in life is a part of the whole.
With China's emergence as an economic power, the United States is newly concerned about the balance of economic and military power.
Some people's idea of balance may be other people's idea of ridiculous. Commonly, propagandists promote an ideal in direct contravention to its expression.
Having seen how well propaganda worked in the United States, despite the nation’s historic wealth, oligarchs became more extreme:
Artificial economic bubbles are notorious for leading to calamity:
Temperance:
In the 1920s the United States lived under a Constitutional Amendment that banned alcoholic beverages. Spurred by "temperance societies," this episode in history, ironically, exemplifies intemperance.
From the dark side:
Greed:
In the meantime, while some sang, the rest talked together tumultuously all at once; it was no longer anything but noise. Tholomyès intervened. "Let us not talk at random nor too fast," he exclaimed. "Let us reflect, if we wish to be brilliant. Too much improvisation empties the mind in a stupid way. Running beer gathers no froth. No haste, gentlemen. Let us mingle majesty with the feast. Let us eat with meditation; let us make haste slowly. Let us not hurry. Consider the springtime; if it makes haste, it is done for; that is to say, it gets frozen. Excess of zeal ruins peach-trees and apricot-trees. Excess of zeal kills the grace and the mirth of good dinners. No zeal, gentlemen! [Victor Hugo, Les Misérables (1862), Volume I – Fantine; Book Third – In the Year 1817, Chapter VII, “The Wisdom of Tholomyés”.]
Tempering medieval justice:
Every city during the Middle Ages, and every city in France down to the time of Louis XII. had its places of asylum. These sanctuaries, in the midst of the deluge of penal and barbarous jurisdictions which inundated the city, were a species of islands which rose above the level of human justice. Every criminal who landed there was safe. There were in every suburb almost as many places of asylum as gallows. It was the abuse of impunity by the side of the abuse of punishment; two bad things which strove to correct each other. The palaces of the king, the hôtels of the princes, and especially churches, possessed the right of asylum. Sometimes a whole city which stood in need of being repeopled was temporarily created a place of refuge. Louis XI. made all Paris a refuge in 1467. [Victor Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris, or, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831), Volume II, Book Ninth, Chapter II, “Hunchbacked, One Eyed, Lame”.]
Loved a little, Worked a little…
Those were very fortunate people,
Who considered Love an obligation,
Or they just loved their task,
I remained busy all my life,
Loved a little, worked a little,
Sometimes love was a snag in the way of my work,
While sometimes duty didn’t allow me to love with passion,
Ultimately I got upset of the situation,
And left both my love and my work incomplete.
[Faiz Ahmed Faiz, “Loved a little, Worked a little”]
Two poems by John Milton express the value of balance:
From the dark side:
George Frideric Händel, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (The Cheerful, the Thoughtful, and the Moderate Man), HWV 55 (1740) (approx. 100-140’) (libretto), is a pastoral ode studying two alternating moods, or tempers. “The texts of Parts I and II are based on the two delightful companion poems L'Allegro and Il Penseroso written in the previous century by the 22-year-old John Milton. The first of these poems depicts the joys of the active or extroverted life, the second the joys of the contemplative or introverted life.” “. . . the piece honors an Enlightenment aesthetic of balance and self-control that still resonates today.” Live recorded performances are by Gabrieli Consort (McCreesh); and Nicholas McGegan at Harvard in 2016. Excellent performances on disc are by Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists (Gardiner); Bach Choir & Ensemble Orchestral de Paris (Nelson) in 2000; Paul McCreesh & Gabrieli Players in 2015; Orchester der J.S. Bach-Stiftung (Lutz) in 2017; and Les Arts Florissants (Christie) in 2022.
Béla Bartók, Piano Concerto No. 2, Sz 95, BB 101 (1931) (approx. 28’): “The overall architecture of the work is intricately planned and reveals the composer’s characteristic fascination with symmetrical patterns.” Top performances are by Anda & Fricsay in 1959, Rudolf Serkin & Szell, Pollini & Abbado in 1979, Bronfman & Salonen in 1993, Andsnes & Boulez in 2004, Schiff & Iván Fischer in 1996, Bavouzet & Noseda in 2010, Wang & Rattle in concert in 2017, and Aimard & Salonen in 2023.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet is a classical pianist who has taken a balanced approach to music. “From the very start of his career, he has delighted in music beyond the standard repertoire, from jazz to opera, including works which he has transcribed himself for the piano.” He “has the rare ability to combine poetic musical sensibilities and dazzling technical prowess.” Thibaudet is known for “elegant and insightful musicality . . .” “Without exception, his interpretations are always inspiringly original yet remain in keeping with the composer's intended spirit . . .” Here is a link to his releases.
Conductor Pierre Monteux was known for his elegance, refinement and balance. “To some observers, his conducting semmed almost effortless. His beat was small. He never indulged in histrionics. And yet, when in front of an orchestra, his authority was absolute. The music unfolded with the utmost subtlety of nuance. One orchestral section was always transparent to another.” Here are links to his playlists and of him conducting live.
Though they were written early in the Romantic era, Robert Schumann’s piano trios are more nearly like those of the twentieth century than they are like their contemporaneous works. In addition, because of Schumann’s inner turbulence, they are on the gray-dark side of temperance and balance. Listen to the works also for the balance among the instrumentalists, which Schumann preserved. “Schumann’s trios, like his symphonies, gravitate toward the middle in sound and substance. Neither the piano nor the violin use much of their higher registers, and Schumann being Schumann, there is no superficial brilliance in any of the parts.”
Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata No. 211 in G Major, “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht - Kaffeekantate” (Be Still, Stop Chattering, or Coffee Cantata), BWV 211 (1734) (approx. 26-29’) (lyrics), “. . . is essentially a miniature comic opera that tells the story of a disgruntled father, Schlendrian, who argues with his caffeine-obsessed daughter . . .”
“Counterpoint is the relationship between two or more melody lines that are played at the same time. These melodies are dependent on each other to create good-sounding harmonies, but also are independent in rhythm and contour.” “Counterpoint is a musical style of composition that employs more than one voice; however, rather than having a melody line and a harmony line, each voice is equally important in the composition and carries part of the melody. Counterpoint is a form of polyphony that creates a dialogue between the treble clef and the bass clef, and each contributes something meaningful to a joint conversation instead of one serving a supporting role to the other.” “Good counterpoint requires two qualities: (1) a meaningful or harmonious relationship between the lines (a ‘vertical’ consideration—i.e., dealing with harmony) and (2) some degree of independence or individuality within the lines themselves (a ‘horizontal’ consideration, dealing with melody).” Several Renaissance composers notably developed this style.
Two minimalists have highlighted the idea of symmetry:
To my ears, twentieth century piano trios outside the lingering tradition of French romanticism do not convey as clear a sense of attentive listening as do their nineteenth century counterparts; they seem distracted by the concerns of their era. Still, they strike a scrupulous balance between the three instruments.
Other works:
LPT is a ten-piece Afro-Cuban salsa band whose style could best be described as one of controlled energy. Though their rhythms drive forward consistently, they always remain controlled and balanced. Their albums include: “Se Quema el Mundo” (2021) (45’) and “Sin Parar” (2020) (40’).
Albums:
From the dark side:
Compositions from the dark side:
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[/caption] Magritte’s painting suggests a central question: can we recognize our own biases?
Humility’s opposite, arrogance is an unjustified and inflated (immoderate) sense of self, sometimes expressed as grandiosity.
This is a catch-up week, with no single theme. The main theme is a broad overview of personal development, from the foundations (being grounded) to their scope (being well-rounded), and across the three domains of Being. A secondary theme is the alleviation of suffering and an acknowledgment that in that realm, urgency is also an important value. A solid grounding…
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We may never pass this way again. [Title of a song by Seals and Crofts] Only a special work of art can avoid becoming cliche with overuse. The song “Auld Lang Syne” meets this test as well as any. The lyrics are those of a poem by the great Scottish poet Robert Burns. Remembering and commemorating the past, briefly, serves…
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We can never know about the days to come but we think about them anyway. [from the Carly Simon song “Anticipation“] Only a few weeks ago, we celebrated living in the here and now, experiencing every moment as eternity’s sunrise. That is excellent and it does not prevent us from anticipating, preparing and remembering. A key to the spiritual life…
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Every end marks a beginning. The end of the year is not the end of life. We are about to start over. Prepare for another go-round on the journey.
Ivan Aivazovsky, Moon Path (1886) An interlude is a brief rest, a brief time of calming or reflection. Take a breath: a new year is just around the corner.
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