Thomistic Tidbits: The Girth of a Mirth Dearth

On this feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, we wanted to share with you a fun “Thomistic tidbit.” Did you know that St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica wrote about the sinfulness of being too serious? Keep on reading to learn more.

The Girth of a Mirth Dearth - Sizing up the Sinfulness of Super-Seriousness

(Summa Theologica II-II Question 168)

To start with - why might being too serious be a problem? According to Aquinas, just like the body, the soul also needs rest from its work in order to function properly. If the soul is pushed “beyond his measure in a certain work, he is oppressed and becomes weary.” The ‘headier’ the work - and this includes both intellectual work as well as contemplation - the more the soul is tired out by it, since it is the soul which is carrying the brunt of the work instead of the body as with physical labor. According to Thomas Aquinas, the remedy for this weariness of the soul consists in the application of some pleasure to slacken the tension of study. That comes through playfulness or humor, so taking a break regularly for play or a game is not just allowed but actually prescribed as a necessary element to a well-functioning soul.

This, of course, must come with some limits, though. Aquinas is quick to spell out three cautions that must be heeded for virtuous playfulness. First, “the pleasure in question should not be sought in indecent or injurious deeds or words.” Next, the fun should not throw off the balance of your mind. Instead it should be consistent with good behavior and reflect something of an upright mind. Finally, we must be careful “to conform ourselves to persons, time, and place.” Which means, just because I’m in need of a rest doesn’t mean I can disturb others around me or act indecorously.

The sisters were racing down the hill, and if your sled stopped before the finish line, you had to run the rest of the way!

Moving past the necessary limits, though, Aquinas makes it clear that playfulness and mirth are not only necessary for ourselves, but are also an obligation to us for the sake of the others around us. This is the virtue of affability or friendliness. “It is against reason for a man to be burdensome to others, by offering no pleasure to others, and by hindering their enjoyment.” More clearly, “let your conduct be guided by wisdom so that no one will think you rude, or despise you as a cad.” So having fun on occasion is necessary, and being grave all of the time is not how you ought to live life - and in fact, can actually be sinful.

At the end of the day, Aquinas does conclude that excessive mirth tends to be more harmful than deficient mirth, and thus being a too-serious person is less sinful than being too un-serious. However, it still isn’t great, so there is at least some girth to a mirth dearth.

The wisdom of St. Thomas’s insights is reflected in the structure of a Dominican nun’s monastic horarium (schedule of the day). Much of the day is given to prayer, and to manual and intellectual labor in silence. But then, twice a day, the community comes together for recreation, a time to be re-created in mind and spirit by taking a break and enjoying each other’s company.

So today, in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas, lighten up!