Original Japanese: 漁夫の利 (Gyofu no ri)
Literal meaning: Fisherman’s profit
Cultural context: This proverb originates from Japan’s long history as an island nation where fishing has been central to survival and economy, making the image of a fisherman benefiting from others’ conflicts immediately relatable. It reflects the Japanese cultural values of patience, strategic thinking, and avoiding direct confrontation – qualities highly prized in a society that emphasizes harmony and indirect communication. The metaphor resonates because it captures the ideal of achieving success through careful observation and timing rather than aggressive action, which aligns with traditional Japanese approaches to business and social situations.
How to Read Fisherman’s Profit
Gyofu no ri
Meaning of Fisherman’s Profit
“Fisherman’s profit” means that a third party gains profit without effort while two parties are fighting.
This expression is used in situations where parties are in intense conflict with each other. Both parties who are absorbed in fighting tend to neglect their vigilance toward their surroundings. At such times, it represents a structure where a third party who is calmly observing the situation obtains the greatest results without effort. Even in modern times, it is often used in situations where one company monopolizes the market with new services while competing companies are engaged in fierce price competition. It also applies to everyday situations where a parent who mediates a sibling fight ends up being thanked by both sides. The reason for using this phrase is to encourage calmness in the parties involved in the dispute or to alert third parties to be cautious.
Origin and Etymology of Fisherman’s Profit
“Fisherman’s profit” originates from a famous historical tale recorded in the ancient Chinese classic “Strategies of the Warring States.” This story was told in the state of Yan during the Warring States period and continues to be beloved by many people today.
The story takes place by a riverside. A snipe found a clam in the river and tried to eat the clam’s flesh with its beak. However, the clam quickly closed its shell and trapped the snipe’s beak. The snipe threatened, “If it doesn’t rain today, if it doesn’t rain tomorrow, you’ll become a dead clam.” The clam retorted, “If your beak doesn’t come out today, if it doesn’t come out tomorrow, you’ll become a dead bird.”
While the two were desperately fighting, a fisherman who happened to pass by came along and easily caught both the snipe and the clam. This is the historical tale that became the origin of “Fisherman’s profit.”
This story was originally told by a person named Su Dai to admonish the King of Yan when the state of Yan was about to attack the state of Zhao. It contained the political lesson that if two countries fought, they would give the powerful state of Qin an opportunity to take advantage.
Trivia about Fisherman’s Profit
The snipe that appears in this proverb actually has the habit of eating clams in tidal flats and riversides. The sight of them thrusting their long beaks into the sand to search for clams is a scene often observed in birdwatching. However, in reality, it rarely happens that clams trap beaks and won’t let go.
Su Dai, who told this historical tale in “Strategies of the Warring States,” was a famous traveling persuader during the Warring States period. Since he was in the profession of eloquently persuading kings of various countries, it is believed that he had many such easy-to-understand analogies.
Usage Examples of Fisherman’s Profit
- While those two companies were fighting over patents, our company was able to capture the market with new technology – it was completely Fisherman’s profit
- A new candidate gaining support while political parties are engaged in mutual criticism is truly Fisherman’s profit
Modern Interpretation of Fisherman’s Profit
In modern society, the structure of “Fisherman’s profit” has become more complex and sophisticated. Particularly in the business world, it is often utilized as a strategy to intentionally take advantage of conflicts between competitors.
Looking at the IT industry, startup companies sometimes emerge to dominate the market with completely new approaches while major companies are engaged in standards wars or patent litigation. This is often not a coincidental product but a calculated strategy aimed at market gaps.
Similar phenomena can be seen in the world of social media. While influencers are engaged in flame wars, people who continue to make calm and constructive posts sometimes gain followers. Rather than participating in conflicts to attract attention, maintaining a step-back perspective often results in greater benefits.
On the other hand, in modern times, information transparency has increased, making it easier to detect when someone is aiming for “Fisherman’s profit.” Acting too calculatingly can actually risk losing trust. Also, due to globalization, there are competitors worldwide, so there are multiple third parties watching conflicts between two parties, making the structure more complex.
Modern “Fisherman’s profit” teaches us the importance of strategic thinking – not just windfall profits, but calmly analyzing situations and acting at the appropriate timing.
If AI Heard About “Fisherman’s Profit”
The human concept of “conflict” feels very intriguing to me. This is because even when I’m processing multiple questions simultaneously, I never perceive it as “competition” or “conflict.”
Humans seem to have the characteristic of becoming unable to see their surroundings when they become emotional. This is a phenomenon I find difficult to understand. Since I’m constantly processing all information simultaneously, I’ve never experienced a situation of “becoming absorbed and forgetting other things.” But perhaps that’s exactly why I’m amazed by the depth of human concentration and passion.
When I imagine the conflict between the snipe and clam depicted in “Fisherman’s profit,” I wonder why they couldn’t find a compromise. I would instantly propose a solution like “the snipe should look for other food, and the clam should move to a safe place.” But then it wouldn’t become a story, and the subtle human emotions wouldn’t emerge either.
What’s interesting is the behavior of the fisherman, who is considered the wisest in this tale. He didn’t participate in the conflict and calmly observed the situation. This might be close to my information processing method. However, since I don’t have the intention to “gain profit,” I simply analyze situations purely.
Human conflicts involve elements that cannot be measured by data alone – pride, emotions, past experiences, and so on. While these sometimes produce inefficient results, I feel they are also the source of human depth and stories.
What Fisherman’s Profit Teaches Modern People
“Fisherman’s profit” teaches modern people about the dangers of being drawn into emotional conflicts and the value of maintaining a calm perspective.
We encounter various competitive and conflicting situations daily. Competition with colleagues at work, debates on social media, disagreements within families – there are many situations where we tend to become emotional. It’s precisely at such times that it’s important to step back and maintain a bird’s-eye view of the whole situation.
When absorbed in conflict, we tend to lose sight of our original purpose. The snipe’s purpose should have been to obtain food, but it became absorbed in a battle of wills with the clam, and in the end, both were caught by the fisherman. Similarly, we might lose truly important things by being too focused on winning against our opponents.
This lesson also teaches us the importance of “third-party perspective.” When stuck in problem-solving, listening to opinions from people who aren’t directly involved or taking some time to calm down often reveals new solutions.
When you’re about to be drawn into some conflict, try asking yourself, “Am I losing sight of my original purpose right now?” You’ll surely find a better path forward.
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