How to Read “A bald man doesn’t notice it for three years”
Kamuro ga sannenme ni tsukanu
Meaning of “A bald man doesn’t notice it for three years”
This proverb describes a common human psychology. When you fall in love with someone, you don’t notice their flaws for quite a while.
Once you fall in love, even an obvious feature like baldness becomes invisible to you. It can take as long as three years before you finally see it.
In the early stages of romance, people tend to idealize their partner. You look at them through a filter of affection.
This filter makes obvious flaws and shortcomings mysteriously disappear from view. What everyone else can see clearly somehow escapes your notice entirely.
The proverb is used to tease people who are blindly in love. It also expresses how powerful romantic feelings can be.
Sometimes people use it to gently warn someone who has lost their objectivity. Today, it applies beyond romance to describe anyone who lacks perspective about something they’re obsessed with.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, we can make interesting observations from how the phrase is constructed.
“Kamuro” originally meant a shaved head or bald head. During the Edo period, young girls working in pleasure quarters were also called “kamuro.”
But in this proverb, the word refers literally to the physical feature of having no hair.
“Three years without noticing” indicates a remarkably long period. Three years means over a thousand days if you see someone daily.
Not noticing something for that long shows an extraordinary level of attachment.
This proverb was born from sharp observation about how emotions affect perception. Even baldness, which should be immediately obvious, becomes invisible through the filter of love.
Our ancestors captured this strange psychological phenomenon with humor. They turned it into memorable words.
The expression was reportedly used among common people during the Edo period. It represents a characteristically Japanese indirect wisdom.
It uses a concrete physical feature to express the blindness of love.
Usage Examples
- She’s so crazy about him – this is exactly what “a bald man doesn’t notice it for three years” means
- Back then I was completely in a “a bald man doesn’t notice it for three years” state, so no wonder everyone was worried
Universal Wisdom
“A bald man doesn’t notice it for three years” reveals a universal truth. Our perception gets greatly distorted by our emotions.
We think we see with our own eyes and judge with our own minds. But actually, our emotional state changes what we see.
Strong emotions like love act like colored glasses that tint reality. When affection comes first, we see what we want to see rather than objective facts.
This is a human weakness. But it also demonstrates the power of love.
Why was this proverb created and passed down through generations? Because it describes a universal psychological state that everyone experiences.
Anyone who has been in love can relate to it. Looking back and wondering “why didn’t I notice that then?” is a timeless experience.
Our ancestors understood this aspect of human nature. They knew that when emotion overpowers reason, people become blind.
But they didn’t condemn this. They expressed it with humor instead. That’s what makes this proverb warm.
Perhaps being blindly in love with something is more human than being perfectly objective. Sometimes that’s what matters most.
This proverb teaches us about the imperfection of human perception. But it also shows tolerance in accepting this as part of life.
When AI Hears This
Three years converts to approximately 1,095 days. In statistics, you need at least 30 samples to identify meaningful patterns from random events.
But with over 1,000 observations as daily data, the margin of error decreases dramatically. This proverb isn’t simply saying “don’t judge after seeing something just a few times.”
It provides a specific timeframe for reaching statistically reliable conclusions.
The connection to human cognitive bias is fascinating. Psychological research shows people easily mistake patterns for universal laws after seeing them just three to five times.
For example, you might observe a new boss for a few days and decide “this is what they’re like.” But over three years – experiencing four seasons three times and observing over 1,000 situations – their essential patterns emerge.
You see mood changes across seasons, reactions under stress, and attitudes during both success and failure. You gather data under diverse conditions.
Modern AI development also requires massive training data to improve machine learning model accuracy. Training with few samples causes overfitting, making the model useless in real situations.
The three-year timeframe was probably the optimal sample size derived from experience.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of knowing their cognitive limits. When we’re absorbed in something, we all tend to lose objectivity.
This applies not just to romance, but to work, hobbies, and even specific ways of thinking.
What matters is keeping the possibility of blindness in the back of your mind. Maintain the humility to think “maybe I’m missing something important.”
You also need the attitude to listen to opinions from people you trust. What others can see often remains invisible to those directly involved.
However, this proverb isn’t meant to lecture you to “stay calm.” It’s also important to accept that humans are simply like this.
Sometimes loving something blindly enriches your life.
Balance is key. Have the passion to become absorbed in things, but occasionally stop and reflect on yourself.
Having this flexibility is the modern wisdom we can learn from this proverb.
Comments