Water which is too pure, has no fish.

Introspection, Vol. 14

Hello friends. How are you coping with life's ups and downs?

I wanted to focus this Introspection article around a reflection about a phrase from the Ts'ai Ken T'an, also known as the "Cai Gen Tan" or "Vegetable Roots Discourse".

It says:

“Water which is too pure, has no fish.”

This book is a classic work of Chinese literature written by Hong Zicheng during the late Ming Dynasty. It is very similar in structure and model to the book “Meditations” from the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, even though its content has mostly different ideas from stoicism.

Artwork from Marcos Osorio

Literal meaning of the quote

Since fish need minerals and nutrients for survival, it is well-known that water that is too pure typically fails to sustain their life. Fish survival depends on the dissolved minerals, nutrients, and microbes found in natural water, such as that found in rivers, lakes, and oceans. These components support their metabolism, keep their internal systems in balance, and provide a healthy e…