When ‘temperance’ driven by reason becomes excessively strict, issues of ‘sadism’ or ‘masochism’ can emerge. Temperance isn’t necessarily a positive trait. ‘Pleasure’ often plays a central role in relationships involving giving or receiving abuse. Although feelings vary among individuals, there is a connection between causing pain and deriving pleasure that satisfies the craving for pain. Some people find more satisfaction in inflicting pain, while others find fulfillment in enduring suffering. Our tendencies toward pain influence how we express our personality outwardly and how we protect ourselves inwardly. If you experience stress from ‘temperance,’ you need the right kind of experience to free yourself within healthy limits. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
When an officer informed Prussian Friedrich the Great that there were discrepancies between the book and the actual battle, Friedrich famously replied, “We have a mule that has fought 60 times in our army, yet it remains just a mule.” In response to an officer’s query about becoming a great strategist, Napoleon stated that his only way was to study the history of warfare. Lincoln admitted that everything he sought to understand was contained in a book, and Edison read through the entire collection from the Detroit Library. When asked about the key to his success, Warren Buffett declared that it was consistent reading. Don’t be misled into thinking that experiences outweigh the value of reading. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”