Water which is too pure has no fish.

The proverb suggests that absolute purity or perfection can be sterile: a stream scrubbed of all “impurities” becomes an environment where life cannot thrive. Applied to human affairs, it cautions against moral or social fastidiousness so strict that it drives away warmth, spontaneity, and companionship. It can also be read as advice for governance and judgment—overly rigid standards may leave no room for ordinary human complexity, producing loneliness or hypocrisy rather than virtue. In personal conduct, it implies that tolerance for minor flaws and messiness is part of sustaining real relationships and a livable world.