Honestly, that scale actually makes perfect sense, especially for a sixty person dance crew. You want people who are really good at what they do, but not who will attempt to stand out and affect the cohesion of the group. Too fresh and not fresh enough are both negative qualities. And Jason is just saying that an 8 represents the ideal amount. That’s actually pretty deep, and suggests a collectivist instinct in him.
And yes, that means that Jason is effectively saying that Michael is too smart for his own good, to his detriment.
I saw this and went “oh, so it works like the pH scale”… then realized that means that he’s calling Michael basic.
He’s also inadvertently practicing Virtue Ethics. The theory of virtue ethics states that every virtue, like generosity, exists on a spectrum somewhere between two vices, like stinginess and being so generous you harm yourself.
