Grief is natural; the absence of all feeling is undesirable, but moderation in grief should be observed, as in the face of all good or evil.
Nevertheless the passions, whether violent or not, should never be so expressed as to reach the point of disgust.
All passions that suffer themselves to be relished and digested are but moderate.
Why cannot we correct the baneful passions, without weakening the good?
Even when I was young, I never felt extreme feelings.
Let me moderate our sorrows. The grief of a man should not exceed proper bounds, but be in proportion to the blow he has received. [Lat., Ponamus nimios gemitus: flagrantior aequo Non debet dolor esse viri, nec vulnere major.]
I try to let my highs not be too high and my lows not be too low. And I do that just because I try to control my emotions.
There's such a thing as too much happiness and sadness. What I'm after is contentment.
To have in general but little feeling, seems to be the only security against feeling too much on any particular occasion.
Do you like him much?' I told you I liked him a little. Where is the use of caring for him so very much: he is full of faults.' Is he?' All boys are.
Love, Hope, and Joy, fair pleasure's smiling train, Hate, Fear, and Grief, the family of pain, These mix'd with art, and to due bounds confin'd Make and maintain the balance of the mind.
Once we become conscious of a feeling and attempt to make a corresponding form, we are engaged in an activity which, far from being sincere, is prepared (as any artist if he is sincere will tell you) to moderate feelings to fit the form. The artist's feeling for form is stronger than a formless feeling.
