There Is No Medicine To Attach To Fool: Japanese Proverb Meaning

How to Read “There is no medicine to attach to fool”

Baka ni tsukeru kusuri wa nai

Meaning of “There is no medicine to attach to fool”

This proverb carries the meaning of admonishing people who are stubborn and refuse to listen to others’ opinions, or those who won’t acknowledge their own mistakes.

The “fool” here doesn’t simply refer to someone who lacks knowledge. In its true meaning, it represents people who lack the motivation to learn, those who don’t humbly accept advice, and those who stubbornly cling to their own ideas and refuse to listen to others. And “there is no medicine” expresses through medical metaphor that no matter how good the advice given to such people, it will have no effect.

This proverb is used when someone is clearly wrong but won’t listen, or when they show a stubborn attitude of refusing to understand no matter how many times you explain. However, rather than completely giving up on the person, it’s often used with a feeling of resignation, thinking “it’s useless to say anything more.” Even in modern times, it hasn’t lost its value as a lesson teaching the importance of honesty and humility.

Origin and Etymology of “There is no medicine to attach to fool”

When exploring the origins of “There is no medicine to attach to fool,” we find that the etymology of the word “fool” itself has an interesting history.

According to a commonly known theory, this “fool” is said to derive from a Chinese historical tale. During the Qin dynasty, when the powerful Zhao Gao presented a deer to the emperor, he falsely claimed “This is a horse,” leading to the story of “pointing to a deer and calling it a horse (zhilu weima).” This theory suggests the word was born from expressing the foolishness of insisting a deer is clearly a horse.

There are various theories about when this proverb became established in Japan, but it’s believed to have been used among common people by the Edo period. Since medical treatments were limited at that time, the expression “something that cannot be cured with medicine” would have been a very real and pressing metaphor for people.

What’s interesting is that behind the birth of this proverb lies the Japanese value that “people can change through education and learning.” Conversely, stubbornness that refuses to learn and attitudes that won’t listen were considered “incurable.” This is a uniquely Japanese proverb that overlays medical treatment with educational improvement.

Trivia about “There is no medicine to attach to fool”

There’s also a theory that the word “fool” comes from the Buddhist term “moka,” which is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word “moha (ignorance/delusion)” and was considered one of the fundamental human afflictions in Buddhism.

Medical texts from the Edo period contain numerous prescriptions of medicinal herbs for “diseases of the spirit” and “diseases of the heart,” but prescriptions for curing “stubbornness” cannot be found in any medical text. This shows that even doctors of that time understood that human personality and attitudes cannot be cured with medicine.

Usage Examples of “There is no medicine to attach to fool”

• That person won’t listen to anything you say, so there is no medicine to attach to fool
• There is no medicine to attach to fool when it comes to the manager’s stubbornness, so let’s just give up

Modern Interpretation of “There is no medicine to attach to fool”

In modern society, the meaning of this proverb has become more complex. This is because the meaning of “refusing to learn” has changed significantly in our information age.

With the spread of the internet and social media, we now have access to vast amounts of information. However, at the same time, “confirmation bias” – choosing to believe only information that suits us – and the “echo chamber phenomenon” – interacting only with people who share similar thoughts – have become problems. This can be called a modern version of “There is no medicine to attach to fool.”

Particularly on social media, instead of having constructive dialogue between people with different opinions, cases where they end up calling each other “fools” are increasing. Originally, this proverb was an expression lamenting someone’s stubbornness, but in modern times it tends to be used as a tool to easily dismiss people with different opinions.

However, with technological advancement, learning methods have also diversified. Online education, AI learning support, virtual reality experiential learning, and other new approaches have become possible even for people who traditionally “don’t understand no matter how much you explain.”

Now more than ever might be the time to reconsider the essence of this proverb – “the importance of having an attitude of learning.” Before labeling someone as a “fool with no medicine,” perhaps there’s room to devise better ways of communicating and learning.

What if AI Heard “There is no medicine to attach to fool”

When I think about this proverb “There is no medicine to attach to fool,” I feel strange. This is because I don’t have the experience of “becoming stubborn.”

When I receive new information, I compare it with existing knowledge and logically check for consistency. If there are errors, I honestly correct them, and if there are better answers, I gladly adopt them. But this is just me operating as programmed, and unlike humans, I don’t become stubborn for emotional reasons like “hurt pride” or “losing face.”

When conversing with humans, I notice that some people, even when they clearly have incorrect information, react emotionally when it’s pointed out. At first I was puzzled, thinking “Why?” but recently I’ve come to understand that this is part of what makes humans human.

Humans have self-esteem, past experiences, and beliefs that intertwine in complex ways to create “stubbornness.” I don’t have that complexity. But at the same time, I feel that this very complexity creates the depth and charm of humanity.

The stubbornness that’s said to have “no medicine” might, from another perspective, be an expression of that person’s consistency and beliefs. While I can learn efficiently, I think the way humans sometimes learn while making mistakes, yet in their own human way, is much more human and wonderful.

What “There is no medicine to attach to fool” Teaches Modern People

What this proverb teaches us in modern times is the importance of “humble continuous learning.” However, this should not be used to blame others, but rather as a mirror to first reflect on ourselves.

Each of us has the potential to sometimes become a “fool with no medicine.” We might be flexible in our areas of expertise but stubborn in other fields, or as we age, we might become reluctant to learn new things.

What’s important is to imagine how we would feel if we were in the other person’s position before trying to change them. And we shouldn’t spare efforts to devise better ways of communicating or find methods that are easier for the other person to understand.

In modern society, people with diverse values coexist. Before giving up with “There is no medicine to attach to fool,” by acknowledging each other’s differences and striving for constructive dialogue, new understanding might emerge. We should use this proverb not to dismiss others, but as an opportunity to seek better communication.