offered her to say with a demure little sigh and a smile…
““offered her to say with a demure little sigh and a smile ‘Oh please, please…all I want is a cup of tea, weak but not too weak, and the teeniest weeniest bit of really crisp toast.’ You see? Because what she wants is smaller and less costly than what has been set before her, she never recognises as gluttony her determination to get what she wants, however troublesome it may be to others. At the very moment of indulging her appetite she believes that she is practising temperance. In a crowded restaurant she gives a little scream at the plate which some overworked waitress has set before her and says, ‘Oh, that’s far, far too much! Take it away and bring me about a quarter of it.’ If challenged, she would say she was doing this to avoid waste; in reality she does it because the particular shade of delicacy to which we have enslaved her is offended by the sight of more food than she happens to want. The””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A person pretends to practice moderation while secretly demanding less, rationalizing it as avoiding waste, revealing hidden selfishness and denial of true desire.
In simple terms: She claims modesty but actually wants less, calling it temperance.
Key Takeaway
Recognize when “moderation” masks selfish motives.
Themes
self‑deception
moderation
desire
selfishness
rationalization
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
aphilosophical
ethical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- dining out
- budgeting
- dieting
- resource allocation
Key Concepts
psychology
ethics
self‑control
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you ever justify taking less as virtue?
- How does framing restraint as moral affect others?
A Different Perspective
The claim of temperance may ignore genuine needs or lead to over‑restriction.