How to Read “Creating one benefit is not as good as removing one harm”
Ichiri wo okosu wa ichigai wo nozoku ni shikazu
Meaning of “Creating one benefit is not as good as removing one harm”
This proverb means that removing existing harm or problems is more effective than trying to create new benefits.
People naturally feel drawn to starting new things. But solving existing problems or eliminating waste actually leads to more certain and greater results.
This saying applies to many situations. These include running organizations, improving businesses, and making daily life better.
For example, a company might need to fix its money-losing departments before launching new projects. Or someone might find it more effective to break bad habits than to add new good ones.
We use this expression because people tend to think in terms of addition. Adding new things gets attention and feels exciting.
But reducing negatives has equal or even greater value. Even today, this wisdom helps us think about which problems to solve first.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb likely comes from ancient Chinese philosophical thought. Classical Chinese texts like “Huainanzi” and “Han Feizi” discuss the importance of removing harm in governance and management.
This way of thinking traveled to Japan and took root there.
“Ichiri wo okosu” means creating new benefits. “Ichigai wo nozoku” means removing existing harm. “Shikazu” is classical Japanese meaning “does not match” or “is inferior to.”
So the teaching says that solving current problems is better than making new things.
This philosophy grew from real challenges ancient rulers faced. Introducing new policies or systems often caused unexpected chaos.
But removing bad customs or corruption reliably improved situations. This proverb captures the wisdom of leaders who carefully weighed risks and returns.
In Japan, Confucian scholars during the Edo period spread this saying. They valued it as essential knowledge for rulers.
Rather than seeking flashy achievements, they taught the value of steadily solving problems. This practical lesson has been passed down through generations.
Interesting Facts
This proverb identified something hundreds of years ago that modern business calls the difference between “improvement that brings negatives to zero” and “innovation that brings zero to positive.”
Psychology has proven that humans feel the pain of loss about twice as strongly as the joy of gain. This scientifically supports the powerful psychological effect of removing harm.
Medicine has long followed the principle “first, do no harm.” Doctors prioritize removing factors that harm patients over trying new treatments.
The fact that East and West independently developed the same wisdom shows it reflects a universal human truth.
Usage Examples
- Rather than adding new projects, creating one benefit is not as good as removing one harm—we should first eliminate money-losing businesses
- For dieting too, creating one benefit is not as good as removing one harm, so maybe I should stop eating late-night snacks before starting a new exercise routine
Universal Wisdom
This proverb reveals a universal truth about human nature. We naturally see value in adding things but overlook the importance of removing them.
Why are we like this? Starting something new is visible action. It gives us a sense of achievement and fulfillment.
Removing problems is unglamorous work. Its effects often get taken for granted and go unnoticed.
But our ancestors understood something important. In life, what truly matters is not flashy success but reliably removing obstacles in our path.
This applies to personal growth too. Before rushing to gain new knowledge and skills, we should let go of bad habits and false beliefs that hold us back.
That has far more power to change our lives.
This wisdom has survived through the ages because it addresses a fundamental human weakness. We constantly seek “more,” but we can actually become richer by having “less.”
The beauty of subtraction—that is the heart of this proverb.
If you pile new things on top of existing problems, your unstable foundation will collapse. First strengthen your base.
That humility and wisdom is the true path to growth.
When AI Hears This
Creating new benefits resembles the physics concept of lowering entropy. Entropy simply means “the degree of disorder.”
A room naturally becomes messy if left alone. But cleaning it requires large amounts of energy. The same applies to the entire universe.
The cost of creating order is surprisingly high.
What’s interesting is this asymmetry in energy efficiency. Building a new factory to generate profit requires construction costs, labor costs, and maintenance expenses.
But removing one wasteful regulation makes the entire economy flow more smoothly without additional energy. This follows the same principle as thermodynamics.
Plugging heat leaks is more efficient than adding insulation.
More importantly, creating new systems produces unexpected side effects. This reflects the law that locally lowering entropy always increases entropy in surrounding areas.
Even when new technology improves efficiency, waste and social problems emerge elsewhere.
Removing harm simply eliminates obstacles, so it suppresses entropy increase across the entire system. It’s improvement that flows with nature rather than fighting universal laws.
This proverb demonstrates deep wisdom about how physical laws apply to human society too.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches you “the courage of subtraction.” We constantly think about adding things.
New apps, new habits, new goals. But what truly changes your life might not be what you start, but what you stop.
Do you have wasteful habits stealing your time? Are there relationships draining your energy? Do you carry old beliefs weighing down your heart?
Simply letting these go can make your life surprisingly lighter.
Modern society drives us with “more, more, more.” But sometimes stop and think.
Do you really need something new right now? Or should you remove unnecessary things from what you already have?
Thinking through subtraction instead of addition is not a passive attitude. Rather, it’s an active choice to identify what truly matters.
Remove one harm from your life, and you create space for new possibilities.
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