ABSTRACT
Gluttony is associated with the animal-like qualities of over and under-consumption. This chapter explores how modern society is riddled with opportunities for gluttony, and temperance has perhaps never been further from the norm. We are constantly being encouraged to believe that something within us is missing that needs to be filled from the outside. This driving need to fill the gaps in our inner life by consuming inevitably leads to gluttony, because the notion that such gaps can be filled by an external item or experience is fundamentally false. The only way to fill the gaps is to understand that there are no gaps. This requires us to work on our inner self and come to the deeply held belief that everything we need we already have within. Gluttony believes there is not enough for everyone. Temperance trusts in abundance. This chapter explores consumption in a variety of modern forms including social media, as well as obsession with physical appearance, and how temperance can inform leadership development. Temperance is about how much you can remember to value yourself, irrespective of others, and how much you honor the life force within that makes you the unique being you are.
