Deskchair Philosophers on the loose
July 11, 2006 6:51 AM Subscribe
Is there ever a case where too much of one thing won't hurt you?
A friend was talking about how 'too much money is never a problem' but I disagreed with 'all things in moderation'.
We kicked it around a bit. Too much food is just as harmful as too little food (in different ways). Too much rest (sloth) can harm you but so can too much exercise. Even too much or too little water can can be harmful. Etc etc.
I argued that too much abstinence is less harmful than too much sex. The friend disagreed but I'm not convinced.
So when it is better to have too much of something rather than not enough? Or should we just stop talking to each other and go back to work?
A friend was talking about how 'too much money is never a problem' but I disagreed with 'all things in moderation'.
We kicked it around a bit. Too much food is just as harmful as too little food (in different ways). Too much rest (sloth) can harm you but so can too much exercise. Even too much or too little water can can be harmful. Etc etc.
I argued that too much abstinence is less harmful than too much sex. The friend disagreed but I'm not convinced.
So when it is better to have too much of something rather than not enough? Or should we just stop talking to each other and go back to work?
This post was deleted for the following reason: chatfilter
Too much love could result in stalking & weird dependency issues.
I don't see how too much money is a problem though - as long as you aren't easily corrupted, it could enable you to do good things.
Can you have too much fun?
posted by tastybrains at 6:54 AM on July 11, 2006
I don't see how too much money is a problem though - as long as you aren't easily corrupted, it could enable you to do good things.
Can you have too much fun?
posted by tastybrains at 6:54 AM on July 11, 2006
Hard drive space?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:55 AM on July 11, 2006
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:55 AM on July 11, 2006
Obsession is not love, tastybrains.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 6:58 AM on July 11, 2006
posted by SeizeTheDay at 6:58 AM on July 11, 2006
This might be a bit abstract, but how about the distance of earth from a specific star (that doesn't happen to be the sun). You can obviously have too small a distance, but it really doesn't matter if the distance is huge or really huge.
posted by Serial Killer Slumber Party at 7:04 AM on July 11, 2006
posted by Serial Killer Slumber Party at 7:04 AM on July 11, 2006
Health.
posted by randomination at 7:09 AM on July 11, 2006
posted by randomination at 7:09 AM on July 11, 2006
Skill? Taken without contextual considerations (how much time you devoted to whatever it is that you have such great skill in) being really good at something would never really be a problem, as long as it was in a field where the envy of others wouldn't result in deleterious action being taken against you.
The ability to prevent yourself from complete devotion to the craft at the exclusion of all other things is assumed as well.
posted by invitapriore at 7:10 AM on July 11, 2006
The ability to prevent yourself from complete devotion to the craft at the exclusion of all other things is assumed as well.
posted by invitapriore at 7:10 AM on July 11, 2006
Too much abstinence can't be that bad for you, given the existence of so many monks and nuns. Too much sex can easily be said to have at least the same ill effects as too much exercise, with the added bonus of possible diseases.
posted by jacalata at 7:11 AM on July 11, 2006
posted by jacalata at 7:11 AM on July 11, 2006
Wisdom is probably the best answer I've seen, except that to make use of said wisdom, it will probably become known that you are just-that-wise, to which people will respond by asking you "meaning of life" guru questions left and right, taking up all your time.
The truly wise speak not of their wisdom, I suppose.
Hard drive space is a good one too, unless you consider that such a thing might cause you to be careless and endulging in your porn habit or spend hours attempting to track down your poorly-indexed or organized files.
I suppose "good memories" might work. You can never have too many good memories. Yeah.
posted by disillusioned at 7:12 AM on July 11, 2006
The truly wise speak not of their wisdom, I suppose.
Hard drive space is a good one too, unless you consider that such a thing might cause you to be careless and endulging in your porn habit or spend hours attempting to track down your poorly-indexed or organized files.
I suppose "good memories" might work. You can never have too many good memories. Yeah.
posted by disillusioned at 7:12 AM on July 11, 2006
Once any quantity reaches to point of being "too much", it is by definition harmful in some way.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be "too much" - it would be "more than enough".
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:13 AM on July 11, 2006
Otherwise, it wouldn't be "too much" - it would be "more than enough".
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:13 AM on July 11, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 6:52 AM on July 11, 2006