Why do people come up with sayings like "Everything in Moderation"?

Pretty much anything in mythology that societies borrow from to attempt to put a story behind certain concepts in life that are near impossible to explain.

Any colloquialism about the purpose of life or the universe….then try explaining death to child in a meaningful yet not scary way. Cultural myths kids grow up with are almost never go well when you have to try and explain them to a child. Santa, Easter Bunny, etc.

“Everything in moderation” is generally used when people are talking about diets and what to eat. I haven’t heard it used to apply to others things like lying, cheating and adultery.

I agree. I’m looking for sayings though. I googled illogical expressions /sayings .

Is it because they can’t afford to go all out and indulge, or maybe they frown on those of us laying in the gutters?

I can explain everything in moderation to a child. It means don’t be extreme about depriving yourself or overindulging. It often is used regarding food or alcohol, but can be said for spending money, working, playing, exercising, and probably other things I’m not thinking of right now.

(Facebooking and Fluthering, @JLeslie)!

Considering the effects of alcohol http://www.greenfacts.org/en/alcohol/l-2/05-social-economic-problems.htm though…. zero is the only amount according to parents and teachers of kids who are asking. There is no need to end up laying in the gutters, (as @Adirondackwannabe said) Parents who don’t do drugs say zero is only amount.

I have often heard it amended as, “everything in moderation, including moderation.”

It is an aphorism, a short bit of wisdom to advise against overindulgence. It’s a good rule of thumb, a good way to live. It is not illogical. I don’t think it at all difficult to explain to a child, and I would see no reason to explain it away.

@zenvelo Yes, “You can have some of your Halloween candy tonight but not all of it” would certainly be a way to convey the concept to a child.

According to Lazarus Long: “Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.”

Some cats like to swing in different directions!

New Zealand has a bunch of funny saying.
The room was so small you couldn’t swing a cat.
Bob’s your uncle.
The bees knees
The dogs bollacks
Done and dusted
Home and hosed

None make much sense, do they?

The phrase sounds a lot like the philosophy of Aristotle. I suppose it makes sense, but it seems kind of dull for a life philosophy. I prefer the old beer ad that said, “Go for the gusto.”

Some people don’t like it when everybody calls BS on them every time they open their mouths, so they come up with cute little meaningless replacement sayings.

Thank you all.

@zenvelo _Make sure to eat the worst food for you, like once a month, or once a….? Smoke once a month? Of course you can’t mean that. So what do you mean?

It means be moderate in all you do, except every once in a while overeat, or drink a bit more, or have more sex instead of doing the days chores.

Why would you think that it means doing something negative like eat bad food or smoke? That is not exceeding or being immoderate.

@zenvelo So, don’t eat good food all the time, The ideal (moderate) is around 60% to 75% of the time maybe? 100% of the time or 95% of the time, would be excessive or immoderate? Added) That can’t be what you mean.
“Drink a bit more” People who sell alcohol say that or people who lack discipline or…

“Everything in moderation” doesn’t apply exclusively to food and alcohol, @flo

@Dutchess_III No it doesn’t apply exclusively to food and alcohol. All means all. And what is once in while to some is excessive to some others.

@LostInParadise Thanks for the link.
@JLeslie The word “deprive” is leading or subjective. There are things we ideally should stay away from always.
@kritiper I like your second post. I never heard the cats swinging saying.

Thanks all.

@flo The saying, “everything in moderation,” is not talking about things we should completely avoid, it’s referencing things that in moderation likely won’t cause harm, and will give someone some enjoyment.

@JLeslie It says “everything”.
Lots of things “will give someone some enjoyment”
Getting drunk as a skunk, or whatever number of drinks per whatever. One doesn’t know if one will end up an alcoholic.
Speeding, like a race car driver or (even much less than that) on residential streets or even much less than that.
Doing all kinds of drugs,
Beating up people.
Nothing is off the list.

If I do all these things it’s not likely I will think they will cause me harm. I’ll probably say to people “Look, I don’t do it everyday just once in a while, it gives me enjoyment” We have to enjoy life.” or something like that.
It is the same way Trump doesn’t think he is not being insulting and harming America when he runs for the presidency, and when he says all kinds of gruesome things, like “Look at that face would you vote for that face?” and then later on, “I never meant her face, I meant her persona”

…Correction: “It is the same way Trump doesn’t think he is being insulting…”

@flo “All things in moderation” also applies to nitpicking answers on Fluther trying to find minor inconsistencies in people’s thoughts.

Where did I EVER say “don’t eat good food”? I said once in a while overeat. I am very circumspect in my eating, but on Thanksgiving I love to eat a bit more than usual, and I will have second slice of pumpkin pie.

Methinks you need to moderate your criticism of everyone who replied here.

I overate yesterday! So, today I starve.

@zenvelo _“your criticism of everyone who replied here.“_Hi-lie-ree-yes. I hope you’ll paste the statement of criticism you’re referring to.

Even a sip of alcohol is excessive to:
A recovering alcoholic.
Someone who has enough discipline to not touch anything that does as much harm as alcohol
Those are just 2 examples.

http://www.fluther.com/183347/what-words-dont-exist-in-french-other-than-for-daughter-and/

So? Should we get rid of the saying?

I missed the moderated post above.

@zenvelo BTW, “Where did I EVER say “don’t eat good food”?
You left out the “all the time” part.
Even if some people do or even if everyone did overeat on Thanksgiving, that is neither here or there.
Good things, maximum amount, and bad things like corn syrup, zero amount.
No one instructs people to get a moderate amount of corn syrup etc. Or make sure to overeat on Thanksgiving.

If you’re an adult, it’s no one else’s business how much you eat or what you eat. Now, if it was one of my kids I might caution them to slow down before they got a stomach ache. Once I had to tell my 8 year old daughter to get out of the vegetable platter so that the rest of our guests could have some too.