Zigong asked: "Who is more worthy — Shi or Shang?" Confucius answered: "Shi goes too far; Shang does not go far enough." Zigong said: "Then Shi is better?" Confucius replied: "Too much is as bad as too little."
"过犹不及" (excess is as bad as deficiency) became one of the most important Confucian maxims — a precise statement of the doctrine of the mean.
子贡问：「师与商也孰贤？」子曰：「师也过，商也不及。」曰：「然则师愈与？」子曰：「过犹不及。」
子贡问：「师与商也孰贤？」子曰：「师也过，商也不及。」曰：「然则师愈与？」子曰：「过犹不及。」
Reflection & Analysis · 寓意解读
Core Wisdom
The string that is too tight breaks. The string that is too loose does not sound. The wise tune to the middle.
This teaching is the practical application of the Doctrine of the Mean. It is not about being average — it is about being appropriate. Courage that becomes recklessness is not courage. Caution that becomes cowardice is not caution. The right response is always in the middle — and finding that middle is the work of a lifetime.