The Sophrosyne Of Obama

I missed this Mark Kleiman post at the time, but it's a really good one:

Obama is almost devoid of the megalomaniac and sociopathic tendencies so common among top-level politicians. The Greek word sophrosyne is usually translated as "temperance" or "moderation." But its core meaning seems to be closer to "self-command" or "sanity." That's the characteristic that shines through the speeches and actions of Abraham Lincoln. It's on Obama's sophrosyne, even more than on his intelligence, that I'm prepared to bet.

I appreciate it all the more since I often lack it myself.