From the Great Wall to Wall Street by Wei Yen

Author:Wei Yen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

No Way but the Middle Way

In China, relationships are often built upon exchanges of favors between parties. Now almost nothing can be done without first bearing gifts. But what is the right gift to give, or the appropriate number of favors to ask for in return? And, in general, what is the action one should take in particular circumstances? In this regard, Confucians believe that Zhong Rong, or the Middle Way, is the answer.

Zhong (中) means center and Rong (庸) means common. Together they represent the Middle Way, or common sense.

While the Middle Way favors moderation of behavior, it doesn’t mean that someone should split every decision smack in the middle. Rather, his actions should revert to the appropriate mean over time. So it’s fine for a person to have a couple of bottles of wine with friends on an evening out, but it doesn’t mean that he should do it every night. Common sense tells us that such behaviour can be bad for our health.

The Middle Way eschews extremes, such as eating too much or too little, feeling too ecstatic or too sad, or working out too much or too little. It suggests that you should do things that are appropriate, but it doesn’t mean that you should be non-committal or, worse, wishy-washy. It also does not set limits for proper behavior. So what is missing is the bottom line, below which no actions should be contemplated.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle also discussed a similar doctrine called the Golden Mean in the Nicomachean Ethics. The Golden Mean as a virtue resembles the Middle Way in many respects. Both favor moderation and eschew extreme behavior. Also, proper behavior should be fair and supported by correct reasoning. However, Aristotle stated unequivocally that some behavior, such as adultery, theft and homicide, are so vile that they should never be contemplated. The Golden Mean does not apply to these activities. It does not mean that you should take a numerical average to determine what is in the middle, or what is too much or too little.

For example, committing adultery is strictly forbidden. It doesn’t mean that cheating on your wife once is more acceptable than cheating on her ten times; that swiping a pack of cigarettes from a convenience store is fine but stealing millions from a client is not; or that accepting a watch from a business associate is fine but taking an apartment is not. None of these behaviors should ever be considered—period.

Today, the boundary to acceptable behavior is getting fuzzier. Many previously prohibited actions have now become socially acceptable. What might be considered extreme behavior in the past—such as nudity, or same-sex marriage—is acceptable in some quarters today. This presents a real challenge for those who must navigate these ethical domains.

The Middle Way has been practiced for a long, long time in both Asia and the West. Its practice can help to moderate the extremes in our hectic lives, and that in turn should make us more content and productive in the long run.

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