--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That moderation which nature prescribes…" description: "\"That moderation which nature prescribes, which limits our desires by resources restricted to our needs, has abandoned the field; it has now come to thi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/seneca-the-younger-219_abandoned_that-moderation-which-nature-prescribes_676745.jpg" --- # That moderation which nature prescribes, which limits our… ![“That moderation which nature prescribes, which limits our desires by resources restricted to our needs, has abandoned the field; it has now come to this -- that to want only what is enough is a sign both of boorishness and of utter destitution.” quote by Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/seneca-the-younger-219_abandoned_that-moderation-which-nature-prescribes_676745.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/seneca-the-younger-219_abandoned_that-moderation-which-nature-prescribes_676745.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/seneca-the-younger-219_abandoned_that-moderation-which-nature-prescribes_676745.jpg) > “That moderation which nature prescribes, which limits our desires by resources restricted to our needs, has abandoned the field; it has now come to this -- that to want only what is enough is a sign both of boorishness and of utter destitution.” [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Natural moderation limits desires to what is needed; rejecting this leads to either excessive greed or extreme poverty. **In simple terms:** Balance desires with needs, avoid excess and deprivation. Key Takeaway Practice moderation in consumption. Themes moderation desire balance Mood contemplative cautionary Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - budgeting - diet - resource management - environmental sustainability Key Concepts stoicism ethics economics Questions to Reflect On - How much is enough for you? - What risks come from over‑moderation? A Different Perspective Too strict moderation can suppress ambition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abandoned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abandoned/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Destitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destitution-943404/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Limits Desires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits-desires-3975471/) [Moderation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moderation/) [Moderation Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moderation-nature-5362587/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Resources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resources/) [Utter Destitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utter-destitution-5362588/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [We trifle when we assign limits to our desires, since nature hath set none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/we-trifle-when-we-assign-limits-to-our-desires-since-nature-hath-set/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [Look around you. 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Keene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-keene/) > [The boundary of man is moderation. When once we pass that pale our guardian angel quits his charge of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-feltham/the-boundary-of-man-is-moderation-when-once-we-pass-that-pale-our/) [Owen Feltham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-feltham/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. 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