Be Moderate In Order To Taste

This saying reflects the Epicurean ideal of sophrosyne (moderation) as a practical instrument for maximising long-term pleasure rather than as a moral constraint. Epicurus taught that excess — in food, drink, or any pleasure — produces its own counter-pain (illness, regret, habituation), while moderation preserves the capacity for enjoyment indefinitely. The specific text is uncertain; the saying is attributed in Epicurean compilations and is consistent with the teachings preserved in the Letter to Menoeceus and the Vatican Sayings.