How to Read “Simplify the hair to comb it”
Kami wo kanshite kezuru
Meaning of “Simplify the hair to comb it”
“Simplify the hair to comb it” is a proverb that warns against obsessing over trivial details and losing sight of what really matters. It describes the image of adding an unnecessary step of sorting through hair strand by strand before combing it.
This represents wasted effort spent on excessive attention to minor details.
This proverb applies when perfectionism goes too far and people waste time and energy on unimportant things. It points out situations where focusing on unnecessary tasks actually reduces efficiency instead of achieving the main goal.
Even today, this expression works well for criticizing behavior that obsesses over trivial matters and blocks overall progress. It also applies when people misjudge priorities and get caught up in minor details.
This proverb teaches us that the important thing is having the judgment to distinguish what is truly essential from what is merely secondary.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records remain about the origin of this proverb. However, we can make interesting observations from how the words are constructed.
The character “簡” originally meant sorting through bamboo strips. Over time, it came to mean “to select” or “to sort out.” “櫛る” means to comb hair with a comb.
So this proverb expresses the act of “sorting through hair strand by strand, then combing it with a comb.”
Combing hair is an everyday act that should only require running a comb through it. But if you add the step of sorting through each strand beforehand, that clearly represents excessive effort.
Throughout history, Japan has valued proper grooming. Yet even so, sorting hair strand by strand would have been seen as going too far.
By using this everyday activity as subject matter, the proverb expressed human tendency to obsess over details in a way everyone could understand.
The structure of the words themselves brilliantly captures the absurdity of piling on unnecessary work.
Usage Examples
- He makes people fix the punctuation placement in reports over and over. It’s exactly like “Simplify the hair to comb it” – completely wasteful work.
- Content matters most for a successful presentation, but obsessing over slide color adjustments is like “Simplify the hair to comb it.”
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “Simplify the hair to comb it” reveals both the light and shadow of human perfectionism. Attention to detail sometimes produces wonderful results.
But when that same quality goes too far, it becomes a trap that makes us lose sight of our original purpose.
Why do people obsess over unnecessarily small things? Perhaps it’s because focusing on small controllable matters helps ease anxiety.
Facing big challenges feels scary. So we try to feel accomplished by perfecting trivial things instead.
This proverb has been passed down through generations because this human trait never changes across time. Ancient people and modern people alike face the difficulty of distinguishing essence from details.
What truly matters and what is trivial? If we misjudge this, our efforts spin uselessly no matter how hard we try.
Our ancestors overlaid this truth onto the everyday act of combing hair. Because everyone experiences this familiar action, the teaching carves itself deeply into our hearts.
When AI Hears This
Analyzing the act of combing hair reveals an interesting system structure. When you try to force a comb through tangled hair, one strand catches.
That pulls in surrounding strands, creating even bigger tangles. The problem amplifies exponentially.
What matters here is performing “upstream intervention” by organizing the hair before applying force to the whole system. Systems thinking shows that working closer to the root of a problem creates bigger changes with less effort.
Roughly separating hair by hand before combing perfectly demonstrates this principle.
Even more noteworthy is how this method achieves “feedback loop interruption.” It cuts off the vicious cycle where tangles create more tangles through advance preparation.
The same principle applies to solving traffic jams. Optimizing signal timing and lane usage beforehand works far better than responding after congestion starts.
This proverb shows that in complex systems, “where you intervene” matters more than “how much force you apply.” The invisible step of preparation actually becomes the most efficient intervention point.
Before trying to solve problems with force, we should look for small adjustments that change the system’s structure.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of “courage to let go.” We tend to believe that nothing has value unless it’s perfect.
But what truly has value is not perfection, but appropriateness.
In work or study, trying to do everything perfectly makes us lose sight of what really matters. Building trust with someone might matter more than revising an email repeatedly.
Polishing the substance of your content might deserve more time than formatting documents.
Modern society overflows with information, constantly forcing us to make choices. That’s why the ability to judge what deserves our effort and what to let go has become more important than ever.
Letting go of perfectionism is not compromise. It’s a wise choice to pour full effort into what truly matters.
When you feel tempted to obsess over details, stop and ask yourself: Is this really necessary? That question will guide you toward what’s essential.
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