How to Read “Great eloquence seems like stuttering”
Taiben wa totsu naru ga gotoshi
Meaning of “Great eloquence seems like stuttering”
This proverb means that truly eloquent people usually appear to speak very little. It’s not the person who talks smoothly and constantly who is truly articulate.
Rather, someone with real command of language chooses words carefully and speaks precisely only when necessary. This makes them appear hesitant or inarticulate at first glance.
The teaching is that people who don’t speak lightly but deliver weighty words when needed are the true masters of eloquence.
Even today, we see this pattern. In meetings, the person who speaks less but makes one sharp point often earns more trust than someone who talks constantly.
On social media, someone who posts rarely but with depth may have more influence than frequent posters. This proverb teaches us that quality matters more than quantity in words.
It also shows that truly capable people often appear modest in their self-expression.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to come from the ancient Chinese text “Laozi.” The original phrase was written as “大弁若訥” (daiben jaku totsu).
The Japanese version “大弁は訥なるが若し” became the established translation of this phrase.
“Taiben” means excellent speech or true eloquence. Meanwhile, “totsu” refers to being inarticulate or not speaking smoothly.
“Gotoshi” means “seems like” or “appears to be.” So the phrase creates a paradox: truly eloquent people actually seem inarticulate.
Laozi’s philosophy values inner substance over surface brilliance. The underlying idea is that the true sage speaks carefully and precisely only when needed, rather than talking constantly.
Such a person doesn’t decorate their words but strikes at the essence with brevity. This attitude is captured in the expression “seems like stuttering.”
Chinese classics were introduced to Japan long ago and studied among warriors and intellectuals. This proverb took root in Japan through such cultural exchange.
It was widely accepted because it overlapped with Japanese aesthetic values.
Usage Examples
- That senior hardly speaks normally, but great eloquence seems like stuttering—when it matters, their words are precise and carry weight
- She doesn’t say much in meetings, but as great eloquence seems like stuttering suggests, she cuts to the heart of discussions with a single comment
Universal Wisdom
Human psychology works in mysterious ways. When we meet a talkative person, we initially think “impressive.” But gradually we start wondering, “Is there substance here?”
Meanwhile, everyone has experienced being struck by a single word from someone who is usually quiet.
Why does this happen? Because words should be crystals of thought. Deeply considered and carefully chosen words carry weight.
But thinking requires time. People who speak constantly don’t have that time. They can’t be thinking deeply about each word.
Truly excellent people know the limits of their knowledge. They understand how much they cannot confidently assert.
This makes them cautious. They speak only about what they’re certain of. From the outside, this attitude looks like being “inarticulate.”
This proverb has been passed down for thousands of years because humans instinctively sense “the weight of words.” We may be distracted by surface fluency.
But deep down, we see through to the essence. This proverb expresses trust in humanity’s power of insight.
When AI Hears This
Claude Shannon, founder of information theory, proved that communication quality can be measured by “signal-to-noise ratio.” In other words, what matters is the ratio between essential information (signal) and unnecessary information (noise).
From this perspective, the difference between talkative and taciturn people can be explained mathematically.
Talkative speech might say “Today is truly wonderful weather, the sky is clear and blue, not a cloud anywhere, the temperature is comfortable, and the breeze feels pleasant.”
The information volume is high, but the core message is just “good weather”—a few bits. The redundancy is extremely high.
In Shannon’s theory, higher redundancy wastes bandwidth and reduces transmission efficiency. It also burdens the listener’s processing capacity, burying the essence.
Taciturn speech conveys the core with minimal words: “Good weather.” This approaches optimal information compression.
Just as data compression algorithms strip away redundancy to leave only essence, taciturn speech maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio. The listener receives the essence directly without unnecessary processing.
Shannon’s communication theory teaches that information value lies in density, not quantity. That Laozi intuited this 2,400 years ago is remarkable.
Lessons for Today
We live in an age of information overload. On social media, everyone is a broadcaster and words overflow everywhere.
In this context, this proverb teaches something important. It’s not about competing in volume of output, but raising the quality.
Before you say something, take a breath. Do I really need to say this? Will these words have value for the other person?
The habit of asking yourself these questions gives weight to your words.
Also, reconsider the quiet people around you. The colleague who speaks little in meetings. The friend who rarely posts on social media.
They may not be thoughtless—they may be thinking deeply. And when they finally speak, their words are worth hearing.
Words can be weapons or tools. But what matters most is that they reach someone’s heart.
Quality over quantity. Precision over talkativeness. This proverb teaches us quietly but powerfully what true communication ability really means.
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