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~enteka

It's interesting. To me, carpe diem, usually means "do not be lazy". But working too much is a vice too.

These sayings are reminders, pointers to some truth, sparks for thought and action, but not the fix-it-all solution.

It's like a strategy in chess: "go for the checkmate" can be helpful in many cases, but can also bring disaster if you disregard the opponent options and moves.

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~veleventh wrote (thread):

carpe diem

1786, Latin, "enjoy the day," literally "pluck the day (while it is ripe)," an aphorism from Horace ("Odes" I.xi). From second person present imperative of carpere "seize" (from PIE root *kerp- "to gather, pluck, harvest") + accusative of dies "day" (from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine").

*kerp-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to gather, pluck, harvest."

It forms all or part of: carpe diem; carpel; carpet; carpo- (1) "fruit;" excerpt; harvest; scarce; scarcity.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit krpana- "sword," krpani "shears;" Greek karpos "fruit," karpizomai "make harvest of;" Latin carpere "to cut, divide, pluck;" Lithuanian kerpu, kirpti "to cut;" Middle Irish cerbaim "cut;" Old English hærfest "autumn."