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Hubris

The story of Icarus is a familiar one. The youth was trapped on the island of Crete with his father Daedalus. Daedalus and Icarus crafted wings with which they hoped to escape the island. Since the wings were made from beeswax, they were subject to melting. Thus the wise Daedalus cautioned the impetuous Icarus not to fly too close to the sun.

Icarus, however, was unable to resist the temptation and flew too close to the sun. This caused the wax in his wings to melt and Icarus plummeted to his death in the Mediterranean.

Thus the constant injunction against hubris - against flying too high.

There is value in being temperate, moderate, and patient. There is more value in being submissive and humble. And there is supreme value in understanding one's place in the grand scheme of things. Icarus forgot his position and lost everything as a result. He flew too high and was brought low by his own pride.

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