How to Read “Even a chipped piece of pottery has its use”
Doki no kake mo yō ari
Meaning of “Even a chipped piece of pottery has its use”
“Even a chipped piece of pottery has its use” means that even flawed things have some purpose or value. It teaches that imperfect or damaged items can still be useful when you look at them from a different angle.
This proverb applies when evaluating objects or people. Something that seems completely useless at first glance might become an advantage from another perspective.
It also warns against demanding perfection and easily discarding things or people.
Today, we understand this saying as highlighting the importance of flexible thinking that finds value in imperfect things.
It connects to ideas like recycling and upcycling. This teaching remains meaningful when thinking about building a sustainable society.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first appearance of this proverb in literature hasn’t been identified. However, the structure of the phrase reveals an interesting background.
“Doki” refers to pottery made by firing clay. People in Japan have made pottery since the Jomon period. It became an essential tool in daily life.
Unlike ceramics fired at high temperatures, earthenware pottery is relatively fragile and chips easily.
Perfect vessels were used for meals and storage. But what happened to chipped ones?
People in old times treasured their belongings. They didn’t throw away chipped pottery but found alternative uses for it.
A chipped piece placed with the damaged part down became a stable platform. Small broken pieces could be mixed back into soil for reuse.
People also used chipped vessels to grow plants or as containers for small items. With creativity, they found many different purposes.
This proverb likely emerged from such wisdom and ingenuity of our ancestors. It embodies the spirit of finding value in incomplete things and cherishing possessions.
By using the concrete example of chipped pottery from daily life, this teaching became deeply engraved in people’s hearts.
Interesting Facts
Broken pottery was reused even after breaking. Archaeological sites have yielded many “pottery disc fragments” – tools made by grinding broken pottery pieces.
These were used as spindle whorls for spinning thread or became children’s toys. This is clear evidence of people practicing “Even a chipped piece of pottery has its use.”
The traditional Japanese repair technique called “kintsugi” also embodies the philosophy of turning damage into value.
Broken ceramics are joined with lacquer and decorated with gold powder. The scars become beautiful patterns, breathing new life and value into the vessel.
Usage Examples
- This proposal has old data, but the analysis perspective is interesting. Even a chipped piece of pottery has its use – maybe we can apply it to another project.
- His sales numbers aren’t great, but even a chipped piece of pottery has its use. Let’s have him use his careful work style in the general affairs department.
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “Even a chipped piece of pottery has its use” contains essential human wisdom. It represents the power to accept the reality that nothing perfect exists.
We humans tend to seek perfection. Beautiful things without flaws, excellent things without defects.
However, almost nothing in the real world is perfect. And by demanding perfection, we overlook many valuable things.
This proverb has been passed down through generations because humans have constantly faced the question “What is value?”
If we judge things only by superficial perfection, the world becomes poor. But when we realize that new possibilities exist in the chipped parts, the world fills with richness.
Our ancestors knew this truth. The creativity to find alternative uses for chipped pottery instead of discarding it – that is human strength and wisdom for living.
A flexible heart that accepts imperfection and finds value in it. This is an essential human ability that was sharpened precisely because material wealth was scarce.
This teaching may resonate deeply with modern people who tend to exhaust themselves with perfectionism.
When AI Hears This
Claude Shannon, the founder of information theory, proved an amazing theorem in 1948.
Even in environments where noise always enters the communication channel, nearly perfect communication is possible by intentionally adding extra information (redundancy).
For example, QR codes are designed to be read correctly even when about 30 percent of the whole is dirty or damaged. This works because the system is built from the start to assume “chips” and compensate for them.
Looking at pottery chips reveals something interesting. A slightly chipped vessel is more useful than a perfectly circular one.
The chip becomes a marker when pouring water or a finger grip when carrying. In other words, the “error” of chipping functions as new “information.”
Information theory considers that unpredictable parts contain information value. A perfectly uniform vessel provides no information.
But a chipped part sends clear messages: “This is the front” or “Hold here.”
Modern error correction codes intentionally give data “structural redundancy.” This is a design philosophy that doesn’t aim for perfection but makes the whole system function while incorporating imperfection.
Pottery chips work the same way – local imperfection brings new functions to the overall system.
Ancient people may have already practiced information-system thinking that prioritized “usable condition” over perfection.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us living in modern times the importance of “increasing our evaluation criteria.”
Don’t we unconsciously judge things by a single standard? Education, income, appearance, efficiency.
These certainly matter, but they aren’t all that defines value. What seems like a weakness in one situation can become a strength in another.
Consider the workplace. Someone slow but careful, someone not sociable but deeply thoughtful, someone unconventional but creative.
Their “chips” are precious individuality when viewed differently. They bring diversity to teams and strengthen organizations.
The same applies to yourself. Parts you consider flaws might become strengths in different environments or roles.
What matters is not evaluating yourself by just one standard. And having the flexibility to view people and things around you from diverse perspectives.
Even without being perfect, you definitely have value.
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