balance is certainly a key to a productive and healthy life. this has never been disputed. it defines beauty (a symmetrical face is proven to be more attractive then something of lopsidedness) it allows you body to stay healthy. keeping a balanced diet, not overdoing anything allows us to feel at our best. if you are balanced you walk better, a balanced mind allows you to think clearly, to be able to reason with most people. a balanced budget will keep your company operating, it will allow you to enjoy the day but also have enough to enjoy tomorrow. a moderation amount of anything is ok, but why is it so hard to achieve it? 

in a way, many of us are driven to excess. we fear the ordinary, as a good friend of mine likes to say, no change equals death. we like to be excited, to get close to the edge instead of always staying in the middle. exploration and leaving the comfort of our homes have allowed us as a species, to grow and to find new discoveries. the middle is where we are safe, and sound, but it is in the poles where true beauty and genius lie. pushing from one end to another, we tend to find our own middle area to retreat too if we have wandered too far. and far we go. it ends our lives, people end up going mad, and losses are stacked up.

hard to say what side matters most. and harder to figure out if we have a choice in any of it at all. balance is necessary, but you will not find your limits and abilities by staying in the safe area. you will also not laugh as hard nor cry as much. to pursue excess is too go beyond the comfort zones and live a bit. not for everyone, and not without its consequences, but given the choice a push into excessiveness from time to time is a sort of balance when looked at from afar.