How to Read “玉に瑕”
Gyoku ni kizu
Meaning of “玉に瑕”
“Jewel in flaw” is a proverb that expresses a slight defect or flaw that exists in something excellent or beautiful.
This expression refers to something that is fundamentally wonderful but has a slightly disappointing aspect. What’s important is that even with this defect, the overall value or beauty is not significantly diminished. When used about people, it expresses small weaknesses or shortcomings in someone who is talented or has excellent character.
As for usage situations, it’s used when evaluating something in circumstances where “it’s almost perfect, but this one point is regrettable.” Rather than having a critical connotation, it’s an expression that stands on the premise that “it’s still a valuable existence.” It functions as a polite way of speaking when objectively pointing out defects while acknowledging overall excellence, rather than completely denying something. The reason it’s still valued in modern times as a delicate expression when evaluating people or works is probably due to this exquisite nuance.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Jewel in flaw” is said to lie in the words “White jade may have minor flaws, but they do not conceal its beauty” recorded in the ancient Chinese philosophical text “Huainanzi.” This expression meant that even if beautiful white jade has small scratches, its value and beauty are not diminished.
In ancient China, jade was treated as the most precious gemstone and was a sacred existence used for emperor’s seals and ritual vessels. Perfect jade was extremely rare, and most jade had small naturally occurring scratches or cloudiness, but the value of jade was considered unchanged regardless.
This concept is thought to have been transmitted to Japan during the era when Chinese classics were imported along with Buddhism and Confucianism. In Japan too, jade was considered sacred and held religious and political importance, as seen in the Yasakani-no-Magatama, one of the three imperial regalia.
Interestingly, while the original text had a positive meaning of “beauty is not damaged even with small flaws,” it’s thought that during the process of transmission to Japan, the aspect of “regrettable defects” came to be emphasized. This may have been influenced by Japan’s aesthetic sense that seeks perfection.
Interesting Facts
When determining the quality of jade, ancient China had detailed classifications of value according to the types of “flaws.” Small scratches on the surface were called “ka” (瑕), while internal cloudiness was called “shi” (疵), and ka was considered to have less impact on value than shi.
In Japan’s gemstone industry today, the expression “Jewel in flaw” is sometimes still used as technical terminology in evaluating jadeite and other stones. Perfect flawless jadeite is called “ice type,” and even pieces with small inclusions are highly valued if they’re beautiful – this may be because the spirit of this proverb has been inherited.
Usage Examples
- He’s truly an excellent researcher, but his lack of punctuality is a jewel in flaw
- This movie is a wonderful work, but perhaps only the last scene is a jewel in flaw
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, “Jewel in flaw” has come to hold deeper meaning precisely because we live in an era where perfectionism is rampant. In a world where people stage perfect lives on social media and companies are demanded to provide perfect products and services, small defects tend to be greatly magnified. However, this proverb provides us with the important perspective that “there is value even without perfection.”
Particularly in the digital age, evaluations on review sites and social media are instantly disseminated, and minor defects can influence overall evaluation. The sensation of feeling that even 4.8 out of 5 stars is “not perfect” is truly a modern phenomenon. However, the spirit of “Jewel in flaw” functions as a warning against such hasty judgments.
This proverb’s way of thinking is also important in personnel evaluation situations. Even now that AI technology has developed and objective evaluation through data has become possible, human value cannot be measured by simple numbers. Rather than denying everything based on small weaknesses in excellent human resources, the ability to discern overall value is required.
Also, in modern times there’s a tendency to value “attractive individuality” over “perfect flawlessness.” Having small flaws often creates approachability and humanity instead.
When AI Hears This
In today’s social media landscape, an abnormal perfectionism has taken hold where even a 4.8 out of 5-star rating raises suspicions of “why isn’t it perfect?” Review sites shun products below 4.5 stars, and Instagram rewards only flawlessly filtered photos with likes. Under these conditions, the concept of “a flaw in the gem” has split into two extreme directions.
On one hand, digital rating systems have created a “zero-flaw worship” where even a 0.1-point difference can be fatal. According to Amazon product review statistics, items rated in the 4.0 range see approximately 30% lower purchase rates than those in the 4.5 range. This mere 0.5-point gap eliminates from the market products that should qualify as “excellent but with minor flaws” – the very definition of “a flaw in the gem.”
Yet fascinatingly, the opposite trend is rapidly expanding: a value system that sees “flaws as charm.” Popular TikTok “fail videos,” deliberately imperfect “natural filters,” and handcrafted illustrations gaining attention as a backlash against overly perfect AI images – all of these intentionally incorporate “flaws” to create relatability and personality.
In essence, our modern era harbors a contradictory view of “flaws in gems”: systematically demanding extreme perfectionism while emotionally finding value in imperfection. This very split reveals the complexity of human psychology in the digital age.
Lessons for Today
What “Jewel in flaw” teaches us modern people is the courage to accept imperfection and the importance of seeing the whole picture. When we become exhausted from seeking too much perfection, this proverb gently tells us, “Even with small defects, your value doesn’t change.”
The same applies when evaluating others. While we tend to seek perfection in social media posts and work results, rather than denying everything based on one defect, it’s important to focus on that person’s overall excellence.
This perspective is also important regarding ourselves. Before blaming yourself thinking “I’m no good because of this,” try looking at the whole picture again, thinking “but I have these other good points.” By accepting your imperfect self, you may actually see a path to growth.
In modern society, we sometimes avoid challenges for fear of small flaws, but the spirit of “Jewel in flaw” gives us the courage to “take valuable steps forward even if imperfect.”
Comments