6d ago

"In Moderation" is just a code phrase for "Your not ready to stop hurting yourself yet"

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"

19 comments

Your not ready
Grammar... in moderation 😉
- I'm not ready!
Food should be consumed in moderation.
- Why do you want me to starve to death?
  
  The way I phrased it was supposed to stop you from being angry with me
- When you struggle with binge-eating, not eating.
  
  The difference between the two is moderation
Your only using extreme examples that are obviously harmful behaviours.
Some better examples are eating eggs in moderation, exercising in moderation etc.
- eggs in moderation
  I didn't realize people had bad egg habits, outside of :::spoiler some people
  :::
  exercising in moderation
  Good point! Someone trying to get back into health can overdo it, i see that.
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.
It's used for bad things, but there's nothing wrong with the term and is generally good practice.
Get some sun, but in moderation.
Help people, but in moderation (don't set yourself on fire to warm others. In other words, practice self-care)
Eat in moderation.
Exercise in moderation.
Play video games in moderation.
Hell, brush your teeth in moderation. Don't strip the enamel brushing 8 times a day.
Work in moderation.
Doom scroll in moderation. (stay aware, don't get to the point of crushing sense of despair)
Basically, most things are best practiced in moderation. And if one feels compelled to do harmful things, doing them in moderation can help mitigate the damage.
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
I hear it differently. I’ve heard it as, “keep doing this thing that’s bad for you, just make sure it doesn’t inconvenience me or I’ll start judging you.”
Also, “it’s not a problem so long as it’s making me money, so don’t quit completely, but rather stay alive long enough to keep dumping cash into it.”
Anyone who’s ever tried to get serious help has been met with the “well just consume in moderation” argument and the “it’s a disease” excuses. We have agency, we can rewire neural pathways, and we don’t have to consume things that are killing us in “socially acceptable” measurements. It’s not an easy road but telling people “eww you can’t just limit yourself? you’re clearly broken beyond repair” doesn’t help people heal. Edit: fixed typo
- “it’s not a problem so long as it’s making me money, so don’t quit completely, but rather stay alive long enough to keep dumping cash into it.”
  Oh, like the company selling the thing that says enjoyed in moderation? That is a really good point

19 comments