This passage is from The Analects, Book XI: "Zi Gong asked, 'Who is worthier, Shi or Shang?' The Master said, 'Shi goes too far, and Shang does not go far enough.' Zi Gong said, 'Then Shi is better?' The Master said, 'Going too far is as bad as not going far enough.'" Zi Gong asked Confucius which of the two disciples, Zi Zhang (Zhuan Sun Shi) and Zi Xia (Bu Shang), was more excellent. Confucius said Zi Zhang was too clever, while Zi Xia fell short. Zi Gong did not quite understand and thought Confucius meant Zi Zhang surpassed Zi Xia, but Confucius told him, "Going too far is as bad as not going far enough." Here, "going too far" does not mean "fault," but "excess." Excess inevitably leads to deviation, while "not going far enough" refers to those who are too lazy to think, stopping at "roughly this" or "almost enough." Not going far enough fails to meet the standard, while going too far exceeds it; both are deviations. Confucius believed that both exceeding and falling short are flaws. In conduct, a slight carelessness can lead to "going too far" or "not going far enough." Acting appropriately, in accordance with the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), is correct. Being too distant or too intimate is not optimal—this is what "going too far is as bad as not going far enough" means. Why is excessive intimacy not ideal? Confucius's disciple Zengzi (Zeng Shen) explained: excessive intimacy leads to mutual disrespect, while excessive solemnity lacks warmth. Therefore, the Junzi (Exemplary Person) maintains intimacy sufficient for joyful interaction and solemnity sufficient for proper ritual. When Confucius heard this, he greatly approved and said, "My young friends, remember this—who says Zeng Shen does not understand Li (Propriity)?"
There is a philosophical fable called "The Philosophy of the Porcupines." A group of porcupines, covered in sharp quills, gather together to keep warm during the cold winter. But if they get too close, their sharp quills prick each other's bodies; if they stay too far apart, they cannot feel the warmth. After much trial and error, they finally find the most suitable distance. Therefore, when interacting with others, one must also learn the philosophy of the porcupines—there must be a proper measure.