Sophrosune

A wholeness and fullness of life, or a sense of well-being. An established, appropriate balance among things, right accomplishment of character, a good control of oneself. That accomplishment is given meaning by the continuing presence of passions that tend to disorder and madness. It is the very possibility of such intemperate possibilities that gives temperance meaning in relation to ongoing events. It is a recognition of the relation of measure to the sensed immeasureableness of destiny and the non-rationality of events. Sophrosune names how madness happens by establishing an integrated relationship to it such that chaos and disorder do not prevail. There is recognition of continuously living in orders of disorder, and that the sound heart and mind is a region in which madness goes on without conquering the whole. And the whole happens without conquering the madness and foolishness occurring in the parts.

A concept elaborated in classical Greece.