Another definition of temperance is ____ .

• A. Self-control
• B. Moderation
• C. Discipline
• D. Prudence

Answer: (A)

Temperance centers on governing our desires and impulses so that actions are restrained and aligned with virtue. That inner mastery over passions is what self-control describes best. When we have temperance, we don’t simply avoid excess by external rules; we cultivate the inner discipline to choose the right course even when urges push otherwise.

Moderation, while related, speaks more to avoiding extremes in behavior rather than the deeper act of mastering the desires themselves. Discipline covers steady training and habit-building, but it’s broader than temperance and doesn’t focus specifically on regulating appetites. Prudence involves wise judgment about what to do, which temperance can support, but prudence is about decision-making, whereas temperance is about the regulation of the desires that drive those decisions. So the option that captures the heart of temperance is self-control.