Confucius' Quote 'Exceeding Is as Flawed as Falling Short' Reveals Ancient Balance Doctrine in AI Algorithms & Modern Neuroscience
过犹不及。——孔子(guò yóu bù jí — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “Exceeding is as flawed as falling short.” Explanation: Confucius’ principle “过犹不及(guò yóu bù jí)” (Exceeding is as flawed as falling short) crystallizes the 中庸(zhōng yōng) (Doctrine of the Mean) as a universal calibration framework. The character 犹(yóu)—combining 犬(quǎn, dog) and 酋(qiú, tribal elder—metaphorizes balanced judgment: dogs symbolize instinctual extremes, while elders represent tempered wisdom. This philosophy shaped 《黄帝内经》(huáng dì nèi jīng) (Yellow Emperor’s Canon) medical protocols, where herb dosages were meticulously adjusted between 君(jūn) (monarch) and 臣(chén) (minister) ingredients to avoid toxicity. Historical engineering marvels operationalized this balance. Song Dynasty 水则碑(shuǐ zé bēi) (water calibration stelae) maintained irrigation channels at precise levels—flood prevention requiring neither excess nor deficiency. Ming Dynasty tax reforms capped...
admin