The Impact of Zhongyong Thinking on Employees Mental Health

Abstract

Zhongyong is a moral standard set forth by Confucian culture, meaning maintaining neutrality and moderation. Many people tend to have a misunderstanding of Zhongyong thinking, believing that Zhongyong represents compromise and the middle position. They might consider that such thinking is detrimental to healthy mental development. However, Zhongyong thinking is not the same as compromise, and instead it allows the coexistence of contradictions and opposites. After reviewing a series of previous articles on Zhongyong thinking and mental health, it is shown that Zhongyong thinking plays a moderating role in the employees psychological state. Moreover, the factors affecting the influence of Zhongyong thinking on employees' mental health include psychological resilience and psychological security. Ultimately, the review found that one of the main reasons for the moderation of psychological states in the workplace is because it affects emotional regulation and alleviates symptoms of depression and anxiety. Plus, Zhongyong thinking related training also was shown some benefits. A limitation of previous studies is that subjective questionnaires were used to measure the level of Zhongyong thinking and other psychological variables, which could be less accurate. Future research directions could explore how to accurately demonstrate dynamic Zhongyong thinking processes through experimental and longitudinal design.