諺語 · a single proverb
愈加不能及
What does 愈加不能及 (yù jiā bù néng jí) mean?
愈加不能及 (yù jiā bù néng jí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the more you add, the less you can reach." In use it means: Overcomplication reduces effectiveness; adding more can actually push the goal further away. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "the more you add, the less you can reach."
The reading
The simple machine worked. Then someone added a gear. Then another. Then a lever, a spring, a second wheel. Now it does not work at all, because each addition introduced a new point of failure. The instinct to add is strong. The discipline to stop adding is stronger and rarer. The best version of most things is the one with the fewest parts.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Philosophical maxim; echoes Daoist simplicity and Occam's principle
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 愈加不能及 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 愈加不能及 (yù jiā bù néng jí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Philosophical maxim; echoes Daoist simplicity and Occam's principle. 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 愈加不能及?
In Mandarin it is yù jiā bù néng jí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 愈加不能及 aloud in Mandarin.