golden mean

The golden mean is another term for the golden ratio, a mathematical concept that presents itself in nature as a range of interlinking relationships. A Greek philosopher, Aristotle, defined the golden mean as falling exactly between excess and deficiency, between too much and too little. Even though the golden mean finds quantifiable expression in numerical relationships between observable objects and phenomena in nature, it also can be expressed as a moral, philosophical, and aesthetic ideal that evokes a sense of balance, harmony, and equilibrium.