The Master said:
“I know why the Way is not practiced:
the wise go too far, while the foolish fall short.
I know why the Way is not understood:
the virtuous overreach, while the unworthy do not reach it at all.
Everyone eats and drinks, yet few truly discern the flavor.”
子曰：「道之不行也，我知之矣：知者過之，愚者不及也。
道之不明也，我知之矣：賢者過之，不肖者不及也。
人莫不飲食也，鮮能知味也。」
Note
This chapter profoundly reveals the core difficulty in practicing and transmitting the Doctrine of the Mean: the failure lies not externally, but in the polarization of understanding and action – excess on one side, deficiency on the other.
Confucius distinguishes two problems: “the Way is not practiced” (a failure of action) and “the Way is not understood” (a failure of comprehension). In both cases – whether among the wise/foolish or the virtuous/unworthy – the root cause is deviation from the “mean” (the Golden Mean). Crucially, both “excess” and “deficiency” equally violate the Golden Mean, and “excess” is often more deceptive because it masquerades as sophistication or diligence, while in truth it has already lost balance.
Zhu Xi, in his Commentary on the Doctrine of the Mean, stresses: “The Way is the principle inherent in daily life… Yet only those who deeply cultivate it can truly ‘discern its flavor.’” He emphasizes that the Mean is not esoteric or remote, but embedded in ordinary human relations. The problem is that people either overlook its simplicity (the foolish and unworthy) or inflate it into something lofty (the wise and virtuous), thereby missing the point of “just rightness.”
The closing metaphor – “Everyone eats and drinks, yet few truly discern the flavor” – is masterful. Eating and drinking are universal daily acts, just as the Way permeates all life. But to “know the flavor” requires mindful attention, just as realizing the Way demands inner awakening. This echoes earlier assertion that “the Way cannot be parted with for even a moment,” underscoring that the Way is present in everyday life; the key is whether one cultivates the discipline of shen du (watchfulness in solitude) and self-reflection.
Thus, this passage not only critiques extremist thinking but also affirms that true wisdom lies not in transcending ordinary life, but in perceiving subtlety within the mundane and maintaining harmony in daily practice. Whether one can “discern the flavor” becomes the true test of whether one genuinely understands the Doctrine of the Mean.
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