The-Conquest-of-Happiness-by-Bertrand-Russell

of somewhat rare abilities is likely to be carried
away by absorption in so intellectual a game. The
Greek formula of moderation practically covers
these cases.
The man who likes chess sufficiently to look
forward throughout his working day to the game
that he will play in the evening is fortunate, but the
man who gives up work in order to play chess all
day has lost the virtue of moderation. It is recorded
that Tolstoy, in his younger and unregenerate days,
was awarded the military cross for valour in the
field, but when the time came for him to be
presented with it, he was so absorbed in a game of
chess that he decided not to go. We can hardly find
fault with Tolstoy on this account, since to him it
might well be a matter of indifference whether he
won military decorations or not, but in a lesser
man such an act would have been one of folly.
As a limitation upon the doctrine that has just been
set forth, it ought to be admitted that some
performances are considered so essentially noble