Brothers May Quarrel Within The Walls, But Together They Defend Against Outside Insults: Japanese Proverb Meaning

How to Read “Brothers may quarrel within the walls, but together they defend against outside insults”

Keitei kaki ni semege domo soto sono anadori wo fusegu

Meaning of “Brothers may quarrel within the walls, but together they defend against outside insults”

This proverb describes a fundamental human behavior pattern. Family members may fight over small things among themselves. But when outsiders attack or insult them, they forget their internal conflicts and unite together.

Conflicts naturally happen within families and organizations. People disagree on opinions and interests clash in daily life. However, when facing threats or criticism from outside, people naturally overcome their differences and band together.

This happens because belonging to a larger community matters more than small internal disputes.

This principle still works today in many situations. Departments within companies may oppose each other. Family members may quarrel. Community members may disagree.

But even people who normally oppose each other will cooperate when facing a common enemy or crisis. This characteristic of human society has not changed from ancient times to now.

Origin and Etymology

This proverb likely comes from a passage in the ancient Chinese classic “Shijing” (Book of Songs). The Shijing is China’s oldest poetry collection, compiled between the 11th and 6th centuries BCE.

A section called “Xiaoya” contains the expression “brothers quarrel within the walls.”

“Kaki” means fence or wall. It refers to the inside of a home’s fence, meaning within the household. “Semegu” means to fight or quarrel with each other.

“Anadori” refers to contempt or insults. “Fusegu” means to defend or protect against something.

The background of this saying relates deeply to ancient China’s family system and clan society. Blood ties formed the basic unit of society at that time. Clan unity directly connected to survival.

Brothers might fight over property or status within the home. But against external threats, they needed to set aside internal conflicts temporarily and face challenges together.

This proverb came to Japan through Chinese classics long ago. Samurai society likely passed it down as an important lesson through generations.

Interesting Facts

The character “kaki” (牆) that appears in this proverb is rarely used in modern Japanese. It has the same meaning as “fence” or “wall.”

But it especially refers to walls made of earth or stone. It carries symbolic meaning as a boundary that clearly separates inside from outside.

The choice of this character itself emphasizes the core message of this proverb: the clear distinction between internal and external.

The verb “semegu” is also rarely used today. It does not mean just any quarrel. It expresses the way people of equal power intensely oppose each other.

This is a very appropriate expression because it describes the equal relationship between brothers.

Usage Examples

• Departments normally oppose each other, but when competing with other companies, brothers may quarrel within the walls, but together they defend against outside insults – they unite as one
• My sister and I always fight, but when a friend made fun of her, it was like brothers may quarrel within the walls, but together they defend against outside insults – we got angry together

Universal Wisdom

This proverb reveals a universal truth about the hierarchical structure of human belonging. We belong to multiple groups at the same time.

We are members of various levels of community: family, workplace, region, and nation. Interestingly, when facing a larger threat, people automatically choose solidarity at a wider level.

This behavior pattern is likely a survival strategy humans acquired through long evolution. Competition within small groups is necessary for distributing resources and establishing status.

But when the survival of the group itself is threatened, continuing internal competition would destroy everyone. That is why external threats automatically flip the internal unity switch.

This wisdom has been passed down for thousands of years because it is not just an ideal. It is essential human behavior that we repeatedly observe in reality.

This principle works at the foundation of concepts like family bonds, organizational unity, and patriotism. People can oppose each other yet join hands before larger crises.

This duality makes human society complex while also making it resilient.

When AI Hears This

This behavior of brothers fighting internally but cooperating against external enemies is surprisingly rational. Game theory’s “iterated prisoner’s dilemma” proves this mathematically. The key word is “iterated.”

In a one-time game, betrayal pays off. But when you face each other repeatedly, the story changes.

A famous computer tournament by researcher Axelrod showed interesting results. The highest-scoring strategy was “tit for tat.” This simple rule cooperates when the opponent cooperates and retaliates when betrayed.

Brother relationships are exactly this repeated game. They compete without yielding in daily small conflicts. But against external threats, cooperating as a blood-related group brings greater long-term benefits.

The conditions for this strategy to work are fascinating. Mathematically, the “discount rate of future benefits” matters. If the next interaction has a high enough probability, cooperation becomes the optimal solution.

Brothers stay physically close and will likely continue interacting in the future. This perfectly satisfies the condition. Blood-related groups are the ideal environment for cooperation strategies to evolve stably.

Competition within corporate groups and opposition to external companies share the same structure. Affiliated companies compete fiercely internally but unite against foreign company entry.

This is not emotion. It is the mathematical consequence of repeated games.

Lessons for Today

This proverb teaches modern people that conflict and cooperation do not contradict each other. Coworkers whose opinions do not match. Family members with different values. Friends who think differently.

Daily friction and conflict are actually signs of healthy relationships. Each person has their own thoughts and asserts them. That is how organizations and relationships grow.

The important thing is not to fear internal conflict too much. Even with different opinions, if you have trust that you can unite when it really matters, daily debates become constructive.

Conversely, relationships that only seek surface harmony without speaking honestly are fragile when crisis comes.

Modern society questions our sense of belonging at various levels: family, workplace, community, and nation. This proverb shows a flexible and resilient way of relating.

Have healthy debates at each level while facing larger crises together. Do not fear small conflicts with people around you. At the same time, trust in larger bonds.

That is the message this proverb gives to those of us living today.