‘Gluttony is not a secret vice’ - Orson Welles
To start off this week’s blog the dictionary meaning of gluttony, is when you eat, drink and take intoxicants more than you need to, with extraordinary waste.
This is a Christian sin, and when researching and deciphering the usual associated fire and brimstone verses I came across an amusing excerpt from a Christian website.
Synopsis
What it is: Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Why you do it: Because you were weaned improperly as an infant.
Your punishment in Hell will be: You'll be force-fed rats, toads, and snakes.
Associated symbols & suchlike: Gluttony is linked with the pig and the colour orange.
Of course the above is absurd, but does not really deal with the cause and effect of gluttony, there can be many issues as to why one person over indulges for gratification, over another.
Eating feels good! food is meant to taste good, and we are meant to enjoy it. However, there becomes a line when the basic hygiene need of enjoying refuelling and nourishing your body is in conflict with the end user, who see’s this time as the only outlet of pleasure.
This is someone who now associates food with pleasure, and will continue to feed that feeling. They will salivate and gorge to the point of no control.
The signs and symptoms of this become abundantly clear, with excess weight, low self esteem, no fitness and no energy.
The no energy part comes from your body’s motor functions resting to conserve energy, for your automatic functions to work overtime to digest all the food in the system. The quality of the food is also a factor, as the sugar content gives a temporary high, which of course comes down. The end users mood darkens and can only be lifted with additional sugars or calorific content.
The viscous circle of gluttony with food can easily be substituted with alcohol and intoxicants (drugs prescribed / illegal).
So gluttony can be a cry for help, but pails in comparison (sin wise) with my next example. It would be fair to say that the judgement (dogma) with relation to gluttony does come from an order that do live, let’s say, a more Spartan lifestyle! – I am talking about organised religion
The example that we shall look at is no more than a feast, or more modern attack on what we would call a Dinner Party. This is representative of people using food (excess of) to demonstrate their social status, and the issue of waste is not considered. The security of having more than enough food has been an accusation towards the wealthy for many years.
Whilst this does have a whiff, of the first sin that was the subject of my first blog in the series, Jealousy (envy). It is the waste element and the presence of the ego that is the offensive part.
Now I am not advocating the abolishment of social gatherings of food, however to do so to the point of excess, is vulgar.
The world we live in gluttony is prevalent, we have collectively been outraged at the sheer contempt our elected MP’s have shown with expenses, coupled with the hypocritical 30% pay increases of all union leaders that highlights that gluttonous behaviour is the sickest vice of all. Sure, greed plays a part but socialising with food and liquor and searching for greater eating experiences is pure ego. The abstract idea and description of this, is gluttony.
So in summary how does one succumb? I think St Thomas Aquinas summed this up perfectly with the 6 ways to commit gluttony.
Praepropere - eating too soon.
Laute - eating too expensively (washedly).
Nimis - eating too much.
Ardenter - eating too eagerly (burningly).
Studiose - eating too daintily (keenly).
Forente - eating wildly (boringly).
We live in the Western society, and the rest of the world does see us as fat gluttonous pigs. This is the shadow that we cast, regardless of our best defense of our actions, perception is reality.
However, all is well. The good news is that we are only responsible for our own behaviour. The simple mantra of enjoying food because it is nourishing and gives us energy is the primary goal of our existence.
Food does not equal happiness; once we associate food with emotions then the result will certainly be gluttony.
My top line quote from Orson Wells was quite apt, bearing in mind that he certainly was a portly gentleman who did of course personify gluttony. It is a very droll quote, with a hint of self loathing.
The blog next week does follow on quite nicely and will be Greed.
I apologise for not posting my blog on the usual day and time, I am afraid that my health was not quite as it should be. I am sure that it is nothing that a few star jumps, ice bath and a bowl of soup would not sort out.
Toodle pip peep’s..........................
To start off this week’s blog the dictionary meaning of gluttony, is when you eat, drink and take intoxicants more than you need to, with extraordinary waste.
This is a Christian sin, and when researching and deciphering the usual associated fire and brimstone verses I came across an amusing excerpt from a Christian website.
Synopsis
What it is: Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Why you do it: Because you were weaned improperly as an infant.
Your punishment in Hell will be: You'll be force-fed rats, toads, and snakes.
Associated symbols & suchlike: Gluttony is linked with the pig and the colour orange.
Of course the above is absurd, but does not really deal with the cause and effect of gluttony, there can be many issues as to why one person over indulges for gratification, over another.
Eating feels good! food is meant to taste good, and we are meant to enjoy it. However, there becomes a line when the basic hygiene need of enjoying refuelling and nourishing your body is in conflict with the end user, who see’s this time as the only outlet of pleasure.
This is someone who now associates food with pleasure, and will continue to feed that feeling. They will salivate and gorge to the point of no control.
The signs and symptoms of this become abundantly clear, with excess weight, low self esteem, no fitness and no energy.
The no energy part comes from your body’s motor functions resting to conserve energy, for your automatic functions to work overtime to digest all the food in the system. The quality of the food is also a factor, as the sugar content gives a temporary high, which of course comes down. The end users mood darkens and can only be lifted with additional sugars or calorific content.
The viscous circle of gluttony with food can easily be substituted with alcohol and intoxicants (drugs prescribed / illegal).
So gluttony can be a cry for help, but pails in comparison (sin wise) with my next example. It would be fair to say that the judgement (dogma) with relation to gluttony does come from an order that do live, let’s say, a more Spartan lifestyle! – I am talking about organised religion
The example that we shall look at is no more than a feast, or more modern attack on what we would call a Dinner Party. This is representative of people using food (excess of) to demonstrate their social status, and the issue of waste is not considered. The security of having more than enough food has been an accusation towards the wealthy for many years.
Whilst this does have a whiff, of the first sin that was the subject of my first blog in the series, Jealousy (envy). It is the waste element and the presence of the ego that is the offensive part.
Now I am not advocating the abolishment of social gatherings of food, however to do so to the point of excess, is vulgar.
The world we live in gluttony is prevalent, we have collectively been outraged at the sheer contempt our elected MP’s have shown with expenses, coupled with the hypocritical 30% pay increases of all union leaders that highlights that gluttonous behaviour is the sickest vice of all. Sure, greed plays a part but socialising with food and liquor and searching for greater eating experiences is pure ego. The abstract idea and description of this, is gluttony.
So in summary how does one succumb? I think St Thomas Aquinas summed this up perfectly with the 6 ways to commit gluttony.
Praepropere - eating too soon.
Laute - eating too expensively (washedly).
Nimis - eating too much.
Ardenter - eating too eagerly (burningly).
Studiose - eating too daintily (keenly).
Forente - eating wildly (boringly).
We live in the Western society, and the rest of the world does see us as fat gluttonous pigs. This is the shadow that we cast, regardless of our best defense of our actions, perception is reality.
However, all is well. The good news is that we are only responsible for our own behaviour. The simple mantra of enjoying food because it is nourishing and gives us energy is the primary goal of our existence.
Food does not equal happiness; once we associate food with emotions then the result will certainly be gluttony.
My top line quote from Orson Wells was quite apt, bearing in mind that he certainly was a portly gentleman who did of course personify gluttony. It is a very droll quote, with a hint of self loathing.
The blog next week does follow on quite nicely and will be Greed.
I apologise for not posting my blog on the usual day and time, I am afraid that my health was not quite as it should be. I am sure that it is nothing that a few star jumps, ice bath and a bowl of soup would not sort out.
Toodle pip peep’s..........................
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