中庸之道 Doctrine of the Mean
Explanation
中庸之道并非墨守中庸，而是指在为人处事中采取一种不偏不倚、恰到好处的态度，既不过分也不欠缺，达到一种和谐平衡的状态。它强调的是一种灵活变通的智慧，而不是僵化的教条。
The Doctrine of the Mean is not about adhering to mediocrity, but about adopting an impartial and appropriate attitude in dealing with people and things, neither excessive nor deficient, achieving a state of harmonious balance. It emphasizes flexible wisdom, not rigid dogma.
Origin Story
话说古代一位隐士，他生活在深山老林中，与世无争。有一天，一位年轻的书生慕名而来，向他请教如何为人处世。隐士笑了笑，指着山间一条蜿蜒的小路说："你看这条路，它既不过于陡峭，也不过于平缓，蜿蜒曲折，却能到达山顶。人生亦是如此，要懂得中庸之道，不偏不倚，才能走得更远。"书生若有所思，拜谢后离开了。后来，这位书生在官场上也运用中庸之道，处理政务，最终成为一代名臣。
It is said that an ancient hermit lived in a remote mountain village and stayed away from worldly affairs. One day, a young scholar came to him to ask about the right way to deal with people and things. The hermit smiled and pointed to a winding path in the mountains: "Look at this path, it's neither too steep nor too flat, it winds its way but leads to the summit. Life is like this too, you must find the middle way, neither too extreme nor too yielding, to go far." The scholar pondered, thanked him and left. Later, this scholar also used the middle way in government service, handled his duties, and eventually became a famous minister.
Usage
中庸之道常用于形容为人处事，也可用于修身养性、学习工作等方面。
The Doctrine of the Mean is often used to describe how to behave, but also in self-cultivation, learning, and work.
Examples
-
为人处世要讲究中庸之道，不可偏激。
rén wéi chǔ shì yào jiǎng jiū zhōng yōng zhī dào, bù kě piān jī
In dealing with people, we should stick to moderation and not be extreme.
-
处理事情要把握中庸之道，才能做到公正公平。
chǔ lǐ shì qing yào bǎ wò zhōng yōng zhī dào, cái néng zuò dào gōng zhèng gōng píng
In handling things, we must adhere to the golden mean in order to be just and fair.
-
学习也要讲究中庸之道，张弛有度才能事半功倍。
xué xí yě yào jiǎng jiū zhōng yōng zhī dào, zhāng chí yǒu dǔ cái néng shì bàn gōng bèi
In learning, we must also observe moderation, and only with tension and relaxation can we achieve twice the result with half the effort.