How to Read “Skillful words are like a reed organ, and the face is thick”
こうげんこうのごとし、かおこれあつし
Meaning of “Skillful words are like a reed organ, and the face is thick”
This proverb warns against people who speak smoothly and skillfully but act shamelessly without any sense of embarrassment.
They manipulate words beautifully and fluently like the reed of a shō instrument. Yet they have no sincerity at all and continue their shameful actions without hesitation.
People use this saying to describe someone who speaks politely and persuasively on the surface. But in reality, they lie easily for their own benefit and deceive others without guilt.
It also serves as a warning against those who ignore criticism and brazenly repeat the same behavior.
This expression points out two elements at once: skillful words and lack of moral conscience. This sharp observation reveals the person’s fundamental problem.
Even today, people exist who are merely smooth talkers without substance. Some face criticism but remain shameless in their actions.
On social media and in business, some people confuse others with clever words while acting without shame. This proverb’s meaning still applies as a warning against such individuals.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is thought to be influenced by the philosophy of the ancient Chinese text “Analects of Confucius.”
The Analects contains a famous phrase: “Clever words and a pleasing appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.” It teaches that those who are merely skillful with words and put on false appearances have little true virtue.
In “Skillful words are like a reed organ, and the face is thick,” the character “kō” refers to the thin metal tongue used in the shō, a musical instrument.
The shō is a wind instrument used in gagaku court music. The reed vibrates to produce beautiful, smooth sounds. This reed’s movement became a metaphor for manipulating words smoothly with only the mouth.
“The face is thick” literally means “the skin of the face is thick.” It refers to a shameless attitude.
Ancient Chinese texts also use the expression “thick face” to criticize the audacity of those who feel no shame about shameful things.
Combining these two expressions creates a strong warning against people who deceive others with clever words while feeling no shame about it.
In an era when Confucian moral values were highly valued, insincere words and shameless attitudes were warned against as the most undesirable human traits.
After this proverb came to Japan, it continued to be passed down among people in a culture that values sincerity.
Interesting Facts
The shō instrument has a structure of multiple bamboo pipes bundled together. At the base of each pipe is a thin metal piece called a reed.
When you blow into it, this reed vibrates very smoothly and produces a mysterious, beautiful sound. In gagaku music, it represents heavenly sounds.
It’s interesting that the smoothness of this sound was ironically used as a metaphor for people who are merely skillful with words.
The expression “thick face” has also become established in China as the four-character idiom “thick-faced and shameless.”
In Japanese, it’s widely used as the idiom “the skin of the face is thick.” Just as thick facial skin would feel less pain, it cleverly expresses a state where the sense of shame has become dull.
Usage Examples
- That politician is “Skillful words are like a reed organ, and the face is thick” – no matter what scandal emerges, he calmly continues spouting beautiful rhetoric
- To be so glib and not care about criticism is truly “Skillful words are like a reed organ, and the face is thick”
Universal Wisdom
The universal wisdom this proverb shows is the harsh reality that skillfulness with words and moral conscience don’t necessarily go together in human society.
Rather, the more skillful someone is with words, the harder it becomes to see through their true intentions. People become easier to deceive.
Humans have a fundamental desire to make themselves look good. Words are the easiest tool to satisfy that desire.
While changing actual behavior is difficult, decorating words is relatively easy. Furthermore, when the sense of shame fades, people no longer feel the contradiction between words and actions.
This is how skillful words and thick face appear together as two sides of the same coin in human nature.
Throughout history and across cultures, people have suffered from such individuals. That’s why this proverb was born and has been passed down.
The experience of being deceived by beautiful words and insincere people is a human pain that transcends time.
At the same time, this proverb is a warning to ourselves. Everyone has the weakness of wanting to decorate their words when convenient and look away from shameful things.
Don’t drown in skillful words, and don’t lose the heart that knows shame. Our ancestors understood that this is the path to maintaining human dignity.
When AI Hears This
When humans lie, two physical phenomena actually occur simultaneously. One is acoustic disturbance, the other is thermal insulation.
Skillful words tend to contain higher frequency components than normal conversation. Research shows that when people lie, their voice tone rises by an average of 20-30 hertz.
This increases the energy density of sound waves and has the effect of dispersing the listener’s attention. For example, sales talk being fast-paced and high-pitched acoustically disturbs the other person’s judgment.
The more information there is, the more the listener’s brain becomes occupied with processing, making contradictions easier to miss.
Meanwhile, when humans feel shame, their facial temperature normally rises 2-3 degrees. This is heat dissipation from increased blood flow.
However, thick-faced people show extremely weak reactions. No heat generation from shame means the heat conduction pathway between emotions and physical responses is blocked.
In other words, it’s an insulated structure where warning signals from the internal sensor called conscience don’t reach the surface.
When these two combine, it becomes powerful. Acoustic disturbance dulls the other person’s judgment while you yourself don’t generate thermal noise from emotional disturbance.
A physical system like a high-performance fraud machine is completed. Skillful words and thick face are always discussed together because these two physically complement each other as a defense mechanism.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us today is the importance of valuing sincerity of heart over beauty of words.
On social media and in business, we encounter countless words every day. Among them are many words that seem attractive on the surface but lack substance.
What matters is taking responsibility for the words you speak. Have you become so focused on decorating your words that you don’t notice your actions don’t match?
Also, when you receive criticism or feedback, do you have the humility to accept it sincerely?
At the same time, you need to develop an eye for evaluating others’ words. Don’t immediately believe words just because they’re smooth and persuasive.
Make it a habit to look at that person’s actions and track record. Confirming consistency between words and actions is the best defense against being deceived.
Keep a heart that knows shame. This isn’t weakness but strength as a human being.
The attitude of acknowledging your mistakes and trying to improve leads to true growth. Polishing your skill with words is important, but don’t forget to cultivate a sincere heart even more.
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