Passion and Balance

Interesting post by Andrew Barry at The Sola Panel regarding The ethics of a balanced life
He writes about the tension between passion and balance, between fervor and temperance.

How, then, do we sort out the voices in our head that call for balance? I think we need to think clearly. Some of these voices we need to hear, and others we must reject. There is a place for balance—not in our character, but in our actions that spring from that character.

Here's how I think it works:

1. In our character (being), we should seek virtues, not balance.
2. In our actions (doing), our character may demand that we act in a balanced way.

We should be holy, loving, wise, compassionate people. But being those sorts of people may demand a balance in the way we live and act in different ways at different times. This, however, must not be used as a cop-out for unvirtuous character.

Thsi is just an excerpt. The rest of the article is also well worth reading,