How to Read “This too is a child of man”
Kore mo mata hito no ko nari
Meaning of “This too is a child of man”
“This too is a child of man” is a proverb that means everyone is equally human. We should treat all people with compassion and understanding.
The person in front of you may have a different position than yours. They may think differently from you. They may have even made mistakes.
But this proverb reminds you that they are still human. They were born to parents who loved them. They grew up receiving affection, just like you did.
People use this proverb to stop themselves from looking down on others. It prevents discriminatory treatment. When you judge someone by their actions or appearance alone, this saying reminds you to pause.
That person feels joy and sadness just like you do. They are human, just as you are.
In modern society, people often criticize others on social media. They exclude people with different values. But this proverb teaches an important lesson.
Even in those moments, you must remember that the other person is human too.
Origin and Etymology
The exact origin of this proverb is not clearly documented. However, we can learn interesting things from the structure of the phrase itself.
The expression “kore mo mata” (this too) shows a comparison. It suggests you are looking at someone and saying “this person also.”
The phrase “hito no ko nari” (is a child of man) has deeper meaning. It goes beyond simply saying “is human.”
“Child of man” has held special meaning in Japanese since ancient times. It refers to someone born to parents. Everyone equally received their parents’ love while growing up.
No matter how different someone’s social status is, no matter how different their circumstances are, all people were born as “children of man.” This phrase contains a view of human equality.
During the Edo period, Confucian thought and Buddhist compassion spread among common people. Experts believe this proverb naturally emerged during that time.
Buddhism teaches that all living beings possess Buddha nature. This teaching likely influenced the background of this proverb.
Usage Examples
- That person made a mistake, but when I think “this too is a child of man,” I cannot bring myself to blame them harshly
- I felt angry watching news about a criminal, but when I consider “this too is a child of man,” I cannot help but wonder what led that person to do such things
Universal Wisdom
“This too is a child of man” offers deep insight into the fundamental equality of all humans.
Everyone tends to see different people as “others.” Sometimes we even try to exclude them. This might be a reaction rooted in survival instinct.
But our ancestors passed down this proverb for generations. They deeply understood something important. They knew we must respond to instinctive reactions with reason and compassion.
Every person was once an innocent baby. They sought their parents’ love. They needed warmth. They tried to respond with smiles.
This fundamental fact never changes, no matter what life path someone takes. People walk different roads based on environment and experience. But everyone started as a “child of man.” That origin point is universal.
This proverb contains essential wisdom for sustaining human society. If we completely separate different people as “others,” society becomes divided. Conflict never ends.
But if we can find shared humanity in everyone, possibilities for dialogue emerge. Paths to understanding open up.
Our ancestors condensed an essential attitude for living humanely into these simple words.
When AI Hears This
The human brain processes judgments about others with surprising unfairness. Psychology research shows something interesting. When someone makes a mistake, we blame their personality or ability about 70 percent of the time.
But when we make the same mistake ourselves, we blame circumstances or bad luck. This is called fundamental attribution error.
The problem gets worse when combined with in-group bias. We are lenient toward people similar to us or our close circle. We are harsh toward others.
The brain unconsciously categorizes people into “our group” and “everyone else.” It judges mistakes by the latter group more severely as character flaws. This function evolved to help us survive in tribal societies.
But in modern times, it creates prejudice and conflict.
This proverb is fascinating because it neutralizes two cognitive biases at once. “This too is a child of man” forcibly moves others from the “everyone else” category into the shared “child of man” category.
In other words, it functions as a command that rewrites the brain’s classification system.
From a cognitive science perspective, this is a linguistic trigger. It instantly activates perspective-taking, an advanced cognitive process. It makes you recognize that the other person was also born to parents.
They are also imperfect humans, just like you. This resets your double standard in judgment. It is an extremely efficient cognitive correction device.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people about “restoring connection” in an age of division.
In modern society, social media algorithms gather only people with similar opinions. They create environments where you never encounter people with different views.
As a result, we increasingly dismiss people with different opinions as incomprehensible beings.
But this proverb offers you a different choice. When you meet someone whose opinion conflicts with yours, try something. Whisper in your mind, “This too is a child of man.”
Something curious happens. Your view of that person changes slightly. They are no longer an enemy to attack. They become a human being who arrived at their views for some reason.
This is not weakness. Rather, it is strength. It means not flowing with emotional reactions. It means calmly trying to understand the other person.
This perspective becomes a key that opens doors to dialogue. It works in workplace relationships, family conflicts, and community disagreements.
You do not need to understand each other completely. Just recognize that the other person worries, thinks, and lives just like you do.
That one step will gradually change your relationships. It will gradually change society as a whole.
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