Seal Phrase: Not as Good as Good

The Chinese say that “more is not as good as less and less is not as good as good” (多不如少少不如好 duo bu ru shao, shao bu ru hao). This is similar to the English saying—often used in art—that “less is more.” The Chinese version illustrates their liking for symmetry and parallelism (at least in writing), with two sets of four rhyming characters and if you read the transliterated Chinese you will hear the rhyme.