In moderation has eased itself into the lexicon of all polite conversation when your trying to get someone to stop doing a bad thing, but you don’t want to scare them with the prospect of totally stopping yet.
- Drinking… in moderation
- Smoking… in moderation
- Recreational Drugs… in moderation
Or when it comes from people in authority it just means “I’m not ready to have this fight, so I’ll just say in moderation as a catch all so you wont get mad at me”
Your not ready
Grammar… in moderation 😉
but you don’t want to scare them with the prospect of totally stopping yet.
That implies there is a desire to stop, which doesn’t have to be the case.
The person saying “in moderation” has the desire to stop, but they want the subject to be receptive to a baby step to “moderate” before even introducing the idea of stopping.
Totally agreed the subject usually has no desire to stop.
The person saying “in moderation” has the desire to stop, but they want the subject to be receptive to a baby step to “moderate” before even introducing the idea of stopping.
Again, this doesn’t have to be the case.
I knew quite a few people that tended to drink too much and had to be reminded to drink in moderation from time to time. But not for a second did I want them to stop completely.
But not for a second did I want them to stop completely.
Interesting, why not?
Because I still wanted to hang out with them and people that don’t drink at all are usually boring and obnoxious.
Ugh Don’t you just hate it when my friends lose their vices and try to be better. Ugh they get so annoying and boring. Why do I even hang out with them. They keep trying to rub it in everyone’s faces. /s
It really does become a crutch though… which sucks since there comes a point where your muscles get weak. I say ditch those instruments and live as golden gods. But in moderation :)
There are three things which come to my mind which I consider excellent advice:
First, girls, don’t smoke–that is, don’t smoke to excess. I am seventy- three and a half years old, and have been smoking seventy-three of them. But I never smoke to excess–that is, I smoke in moderation, only one cigar at a time.
Second, don’t drink–that is, don’t drink to excess.
Third, don’t marry–I mean, to excess.
- Mark Twain last public address, St. Timothy’s School for Girls, Catonsville, MD, 9 June 1909