Too much of a good thing

"Too much of a good thing" is a proverb and narrative device which suggests that even positive experiences or beneficial items can become harmful, tedious, or outright destructive when indulged in excessively. It has practical real-world truth, but in modern media it is often recycled as a moral-of-the-week lesson to the point of parody.

Real-world basis

The idea that there can be too much of a good thing is rooted in observable reality.

• Overeating even the healthiest food can lead to illness.
• Excessive exercise can cause injury.
• Too much leisure or indulgence in hobbies can reduce productivity or create dependency.
• Even water, universally seen as essential, can be fatal if consumed in extreme quantities.

In short, moderation exists for a reason, and the phrase captures the paradox that abundance can sometimes circle back into deprivation.

In media

Writers have long used this phrase to wrap up episodes or films in a neat moral bow. Characters engage in something enjoyable, push it past the limits of reason, and then learn that the problem was not the activity itself but their lack of restraint.

This formula works especially well in children's programming, where the lesson can be visually exaggerated. Eating too much candy makes the cast sick, staying up late leads to comic disaster, or casting a time-stop spell for endless sleepovers results in social alienation. The lesson is easy to teach, easy to animate, and guaranteed to pass through parental approval boards.

Issues with overuse

1. Predictability: Audiences can often spot the arc from the first act. If a character declares that they love something, it is only a matter of time before they overdo it.
2. Sanitisation: By limiting the consequences to slapstick or minor setbacks, the lesson loses any sense of genuine stakes.
3. Corporate safety: It provides a pre-approved, risk-free story framework that avoids controversy. Everyone can agree that too much cake is bad, and no one will write angry letters about it.

Cultural impact

The proverb has been repurposed into meme culture, where it is often used ironically to describe indulgence in internet trends, fast food, or binge watching. Its long life in media has made it a shorthand for stories that aim to teach moderation but instead highlight the laziness of moral scripting.

See also

• The real treasure was the friends we made along the way
• This is fine
• Anvilicious

References

[1] Aesop, approximately everywhere.

[2] KC Green, Gunshow, for showing what happens when denial itself becomes too much of a good thing.