諺語 · a single proverb
過猶不及
Simplified: 过犹不及
What does 過猶不及 (guò yóu bù jí) mean?
過猶不及 (guò yóu bù jí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "going too far is like not reaching." In use it means: Excess is as much a fault as deficiency; virtue lies in the mean. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "going too far is like not reaching."
The reading
You have taught yourself that more is the same as better, that the person who overshoots at least tried harder. But the one who ran past the door is just as far outside as the one who stopped short of it. Aim for enough, and let enough be the whole of it.
The story
From the Analects, Book 11. Asked which of two disciples was worthier, one who went too far and one who fell short, Confucius answered that going too far is as much a fault as falling short. Virtue lives in the mean, and the one who overshoots the door stands as far outside it as the one who stopped before it.
Where you have been telling yourself that more is always better, aim instead for exactly enough and let enough be the whole of it. Notice the effort, the worry, the generosity that has curdled past its right measure, and pull it back to the line.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects 論語, Book 11
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Monkey, and Year of the Pig.
Questions
Is 過猶不及 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 過猶不及 (guò yóu bù jí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Analects 論語, Book 11. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 過猶不及?
In Mandarin it is guò yóu bù jí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 過猶不及 aloud in Mandarin.