Gluttony vs. Temperance: Why “More” Is Making Us Miserable — and What Actually Satisfies
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Show Notes
Why does “more” so often leave us miserable?
In this episode of Converging Paths, Rev. Eric Elnes joins Rabbi Brian Mayer and Zen teacher Esther Tishman to explore gluttony not as simple overeating, but as the deeper spiritual burden of “too muchness” in a culture that never stops asking for more.
More consumption.
More achievement.
More information.
More certainty.
Drawing from the biblical story of manna in the wilderness, Buddhist teachings about self-forgetting, Jewish traditions of gratitude, and Christian spiritual practice, this conversation reframes gluttony as a loss of trust — and temperance as the rediscovery of sufficiency.
Along the way, a surprising nod to Gilligan’s Island helps illuminate how even paradise can feel like scarcity when we forget what is enough.
You’ll discover:
- Why overconsumption often masks anxiety and distrust
- How “enoughness” opens the door to generosity and ease
- What mindfulness teaches about the “correct portion”
- Why temperance is not deprivation — but freedom
What if satisfaction isn’t found in more… but in enough?