Balance: The Antidote to Extremism
· By Julien Poulin
Our culture rewards extremes. The "hustle bro" who works 100 hours a week. The activist who sees every issue as a holy war. The diet that bans entire food groups.
We mistake intensity for truth.
Franklin’s ninth virtue, Moderation, is the corrective.
Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
— Benjamin Franklin
We modernize this as Balance.
The Golden Mean
Aristotle defined virtue as the "Golden Mean" between two vices. Courage is the mean between cowardice and recklessness. Confidence is the mean between insecurity and arrogance.
Balance is the practice of finding that mean.
It acts as a limiter on all the other virtues. Vitality without balance becomes orthorexia (obsession with healthy eating). Industry without balance becomes burnout. Systemization without balance becomes OCD.
Balance keeps your virtues sustainable.
Emotional Moderation
Franklin adds a specific note: "forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve."
This is profound. He accepts that you will be injured. People will cut you off, insult you, and wrong you. You will feel that they "deserve" your anger.
But Balance asks: is that anger useful? Does dwelling on the injury help you, or does it poison you?
Resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Balance is the decision to put the cup down.
The Modern Extremes
We are constantly baited into extreme reactions. The news cycle is designed to trigger outrage. Social media algorithms promote the most polarizing content.
Practicing Balance means stepping off the rollercoaster. It means saying:
- "I can care about this without letting it destroy my day."
- "I can disagree with this person without demonizing them."
- "I can work hard without destroying my health."
Balance is not about being lukewarm. It’s about being steady. A gyroscope is balanced, but it spins with incredible energy.
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