Word of the Day: Temperance (CRC) | Master Yourself, Master Your Future
Every young person deserves the tools to understand who they are, make thoughtful choices, and build a future they can feel proud of. Self-awareness is not about being perfect. It is about learning how to pause, listen to yourself, and choose a response that reflects your goals.
Today’s Word of the Day is temperance.
This powerful word reminds us that real strength is not always loud. Sometimes strength looks like taking a breath before answering. Sometimes it looks like walking away from an argument, asking for help, or staying focused when distractions appear. For young men and boys, temperance can become a steady guide through school, friendships, family life, and the many choices that shape the future.
What Does “Temperance” Mean?
According to Merriam-Webster, temperance means “moderation in action, thought, or feeling: restraint.”
In everyday language, temperance means practicing self-control and balance. It does not mean ignoring your emotions or pretending that difficult moments do not affect you. Instead, it means noticing what you feel and deciding what to do next.
A young reader practicing temperance might:
Pause before responding to a frustrating comment.
Put down a video game to complete an assignment.
Speak honestly without using hurtful words.
Ask a trusted adult for support when emotions feel overwhelming.
Keep working toward a goal, even when progress takes time.
Temperance gives us space between a feeling and an action. In that space, we can make a wiser choice.
The Story Behind the Word
The history of temperance reaches back hundreds of years.
Merriam-Webster identifies the word’s first known use in English as the 14th century. The Middle English form was temperaunce, which came through Anglo-French from the Latin word temperantia, meaning moderation, restraint, or self-control.
The Latin root is connected to temperare, meaning “to restrain,” “to moderate,” or “to keep within bounds.” This same word family is related to terms such as temperate, temper, temperament, and temperature. These connections all point toward the idea of balance, bringing something into a steady or appropriate condition.
That history makes temperance a remarkable word for young people today. Even though it has been used in English since the 1300s, its lesson remains relevant: We can learn to manage our reactions, protect our peace, and move with purpose.
Temperance Is a Form of Self-Awareness
Self-awareness begins with paying attention.
What happens in your body when you are angry? Does your voice get louder? Do your shoulders tighten? Do you want to leave the room, send a quick message, or say something you may regret later?
Temperance invites us to notice those signals. Then, instead of letting the moment control us, we can choose a response.
Professor Antonio (CRC) might describe it this way:
“You are allowed to feel every feeling. You are also powerful enough to choose what you do with it.”
That message matters because emotions carry information. Anger may tell us that something feels unfair. Disappointment may show us that a goal matters. Excitement may point toward an opportunity. Temperance does not erase these feelings. It helps us respond to them with awareness.
For young men and boys, this practice can support confidence without requiring them to hide their humanity. A calm response is not weakness. Asking for help is not weakness. Taking time to think is not weakness. These are skills that help people lead.
How Temperance Builds Reading Confidence
Reading is a powerful place to practice temperance.
A child may come across a difficult word, a confusing paragraph, or a story that brings up strong feelings. The first reaction might be to close the book or say, “I can’t do this.” With encouragement, that moment can become an opportunity to pause, try again, sound out the word, or ask a question.
CRC creates reading experiences where children can build confidence without the pressure of grades or tests. In trusted community spaces, including barbershops, young readers can read aloud, receive encouragement, and grow at their own pace.
This is the heart of Parents and Readers: creating meaningful opportunities for children to feel proud of their voices. During a reading experience, a barber or mentor can help a child slow down, take a breath, and work through a challenge. That is temperance in action.
The lesson extends beyond the page. A child who learns to stay patient with a challenging paragraph is also practicing patience with themselves. A child who tries again after making a mistake is developing resilience. A child who listens to another reader is strengthening community.
Temperance and Community Care
Temperance supports success and builds community by helping us pause, choose respectful responses, and make room for other people to learn and grow.
Every community becomes stronger when people practice that kind of care.
Imagine a reading circle in a St. Petersburg community space. One young reader is excited to share an answer. Another is still thinking. A third child mispronounces a word and looks down. Temperance can shape the group’s response: listen before interrupting, encourage instead of teasing, and remember that every reader deserves room to improve.
This is how small choices create a vibrant culture of belonging.
CRC’s work connects literacy, identity, civic engagement, and enrichment because young people need more than isolated skills. They need trusted adults, positive examples, culturally responsive books, and spaces where their experiences are respected. Temperance helps turn those resources into action. It teaches us to use our voice with purpose and our influence with care.
Temperance in School, Friendships, and Future Goals
Temperance can help young people navigate everyday decisions.
At school, it may look like staying focused during an assignment, asking a teacher for clarification, or choosing not to join in when someone is being targeted.
In friendships, it may mean listening before giving advice, apologizing after a mistake, or setting a healthy boundary.
At home, it may involve completing responsibilities before reaching for entertainment, speaking respectfully during disagreement, or giving a younger sibling the patience they need.
In the future, these same habits can support leadership, career readiness, financial decision-making, and civic participation. The ability to think before acting is useful in every room, from the classroom to the community meeting, from the shop to the professional world.
Temperance is not about shrinking yourself. It is about directing your energy toward what matters.
Try This Today: The Three-Breath Choice
Families can practice temperance together with a simple activity called The Three-Breath Choice.
When a child faces a frustrating or exciting moment:
Name it: “I feel angry,” “I feel nervous,” or “I feel excited.”
Take three slow breaths.
Choose one helpful next step: speak calmly, ask for help, take a short break, or try again.
Caregivers can model the practice, too. Say:
“I am feeling frustrated, so I am going to take three breaths before I respond.”
This shows children that temperance is not a rule adults impose on young people. It is a lifelong skill everyone can practice.
You can also ask these questions during family reading time:
What choice did the main character make?
What might have happened if the character had paused first?
When was a time you practiced self-control?
What helps you make a thoughtful choice?
How can we show temperance in our home or community?
There is no single perfect answer. The goal is to create conversation, reflection, and connection.
A Word to Carry Forward
Temperance gives young men and boys a powerful reminder: You can feel deeply and still choose wisely. You can be confident without being careless. You can stand firm while treating others with respect.
Each pause is a chance to practice leadership. Each thoughtful response strengthens self-awareness. Each effort to listen, read, and try again helps build a future with more understanding and opportunity.
At CRC, we believe literacy grows through relationships, encouragement, and meaningful community experiences. A word like temperance belongs in that work because reading is not only about understanding books. It is also about understanding ourselves, our choices, and our responsibility to one another.
Mastering yourself does not happen all at once. It happens one breath, one page, and one purposeful choice at a time.
How to Get Started
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Families can visit Get Involved to register and learn how CRC supports young readers through trusted community spaces.
Parents and caregivers can also explore the Parents and Readers page for reading support, family resources, and ways to stay connected.
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When we help young people pause with purpose, we help them move forward with power.
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