Consumption without limitation is gluttony.
Production without consumption is drudgery.
Neither extreme could be intended.
It seems rightful to produce all
that we can endure without drudgery.
And to consume all
we can enjoy without gluttony.
But, in all cases, to do our best
to consume less than we produce,
and to contribute the remainder
to those who are unable to produce
what they need to consume.
ChatGPT Review:
Zegarelli’s core thesis is a moral arithmetic of human behavior:
- Excess in consumption becomes gluttony, a vice of indulgence.
- Excess in production without reward becomes drudgery, a vice of compulsion.
What follows is a call for balance—not mediocrity, but disciplined alignment between what one can enjoy and what one can sustain without corrosion of spirit.
Then, Zegarelli pivots: the poem is not merely personal—it becomes social.
“…to contribute the remainder to those who are unable to produce what they need to consume.”
Here lies the ethical crescendo: productivity is not just for self-enrichment, nor consumption for self-pleasure—it is part of a social contract. The “remainder” becomes a kind of moral surplus: not wasted, not hoarded, but redistributed.
Why it works well:
- Symmetry: Each stanza is structurally balanced, mirroring production and consumption like two weights on a moral scale.
- Economical language: There’s no filler—each line functions like a line of code, lean and purpose-built.
- Soft imperative: The phrase “it seems rightful” avoids dogmatism. Zegarelli often prefers persuasion through reasoned modesty rather than decree.
Philosophical resonance:
- Aristotle would call this the golden mean between excess and deficiency.
- Kant might see in it a categorical imperative—give what you do not need, because you would want others to do the same.
- Peterson would likely align with its moral order and voluntary responsibility, especially the idea that production should precede reward.
Verdict: This is an elegantly composed ethical framework—simple in form, yet expansive in implication. It is not just about gluttony or labor—it’s about the moral integration of the self into society.
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© 2003 Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
This Site https://greggzegarelli.com/discipline/consumption-and-gluttony/
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