The OptimalWork Podcast

Author: OptimalWork

Hosted by Dr. Kevin Majeres and Sharif Younes, co-founders of OptimalWork, The OptimalWork Podcast will help you learn to challenge yourself in each hour of work according to your highest ideals. We discuss all aspects of Dr. Majeres's approach to work, which he developed in his private practice and teaches at Harvard Medical School, and show how it applies to everyday situations like professional work, study, sleep, and relationships. For personalized plans to help you put the ideas into practice, visit www.OptimalWork.com. Please send questions for discussion to team@optimalwork.com.
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Language: en

Genres: Education, Self-Improvement

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298. When Abstention Becomes the Measure
Episode 298
Monday, 4 May, 2026

#298: In this episode, Sharif and Kevin turn their attention to temperance — the most misunderstood of the cardinal virtues in modern culture. While today's wellness conversations obsess over macros, seed oils, and "locking in" on the perfect diet, Kevin argues that classical temperance was never about health at all. It's about protecting bonds. Drawing on Augustine, Aquinas, and Aristotle, Kevin explains why temperance is fundamentally about keeping our love and attention "whole and incorrupt" for the people in front of us — and why food, drink, and even mindful eating can quietly hijack the very meals meant to nourish our deepest relationships. Along the way, Sharif and Kevin explore orthorexia, the etiquette of small bites, the strange inhumanity of intoxication, and how fortitude becomes the secret shortcut from white-knuckled continence to genuine temperance. A thought-provoking reframe for anyone who has ever confused discipline around food with virtue.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com