諺語 · a single proverb
貴在中庸
Simplified: 贵在中庸
What does 貴在中庸 (guì zài zhōng yōng) mean?
貴在中庸 (guì zài zhōng yōng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the value lies in the middle way." In use it means: Moderation is the highest principle; extremes in either direction lead to imbalance. 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 Goat.
Literally: "the value lies in the middle way."
The reading
Too much water drowns the plant. Too little kills it. The correct amount is never the maximum and never the minimum. It is the amount that keeps the system alive without straining it. Moderation is not timidity. It is the only sustainable position between two failures.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Rites 禮記, Zhongyong 中庸 (Doctrine of the Mean)
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 貴在中庸 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 貴在中庸 (guì zài zhōng yōng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Book of Rites 禮記, Zhongyong 中庸 (Doctrine of the Mean). 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 貴在中庸?
In Mandarin it is guì zài zhōng yōng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 貴在中庸 aloud in Mandarin.