How to Read “謀夫孔だ多し、是を用て集らず”
bōfu kō da ōshi, kore wo mochiite atsumarazu
Meaning of “謀夫孔だ多し、是を用て集らず”
This proverb means “When there are too many consultants or advisors, opinions fail to come together and things cannot move forward.”
At first glance, it might seem like a good thing to borrow wisdom from many people. However, in reality, when too many people offer their opinions, each having different ideas, it becomes difficult to reach a conclusion. This is similar to the lesson “Too many captains run the ship aground,” but this one expresses the difficulty of decision-making in more political and organizational contexts.
This proverb is mainly used in situations where there are too many participants in meetings or consultations making things unmanageable, or when too many stakeholders are involved in a project making it impossible to determine direction. Even today, the situation of “Scheming man holes are many, using this does not gather” frequently occurs in committees and planning meetings. This ancient wisdom still lives on when explaining the importance of discussion with an appropriate number of people.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is said to originate from words recorded in the chapter called “Great Yu’s Counsels” in the ancient Chinese classic “Book of Documents” (Shangshu). The expression “Scheming man holes are many, using this does not gather” is a lesson born from ancient Chinese political thought.
The “孔だ” in “孔だ” – the “孔” is an archaic word meaning “extremely,” equivalent to the modern “very” or “quite.” In other words, it describes a situation where “謀夫” (planners, advisors) are “孔だ多し” (extremely many).
This phrase is thought to have been transmitted to Japan during the era when Chinese classics were introduced along with Buddhism. From the Heian to Kamakura periods, the study of Chinese texts flourished among nobles and monks, and through this process, such political lessons likely spread among Japanese intellectuals.
Particularly during the Edo period, with the spread of Neo-Confucianism, the study of the “Book of Documents” became full-fledged, and this proverb became established as part of the education of the samurai class. This phrase, which succinctly expresses the difficulty of organizational management, has continued to sound warnings to many leaders across the ages.
Usage Examples
- When we called everyone from all related departments to the new product planning meeting, it became a case of “Scheming man holes are many, using this does not gather” and nothing was decided in the end
- We increased the number of neighborhood association officers too much, resulting in a state of “Scheming man holes are many, using this does not gather”
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of this proverb has emerged as an even more serious problem. With the development of the information society, anyone can easily express opinions, resulting in situations of “Scheming man holes are many, using this does not gather” occurring on a daily basis.
Particularly with the spread of SNS and online meetings, people who previously couldn’t participate in discussions can now join in. This is democratic and wonderful, but it has also created new challenges in making opinions converge. In corporate remote work, it’s not uncommon for various proposals to fly around in chat tools, actually delaying decision-making.
Moreover, while modern times value “diversity” and “inclusiveness,” a dilemma arises between these values and efficient decision-making. While it’s important to listen to everyone’s opinions, if this robs the organization of its mobility, it defeats the purpose.
However, methods for dealing with the problems this proverb indicates have also evolved. The development of facilitation techniques, AI opinion aggregation systems, and staged decision-making processes – methods that utilize much wisdom while efficiently leading to conclusions are being developed. The fusion of ancient wisdom and new technology is creating modern solutions.
When AI Hears This
The modern business principle that “the ideal number of meeting participants is 7±2 people” is actually a truth that the ancient Chinese classic *The Analects* identified 2,500 years ago. The saying “when there are too many advisors, nothing gets accomplished” perfectly captures the essence of the “meeting hell” that modern corporations fall into.
According to psychologist Irving Janis’s theory of “groupthink,” the more participants there are, the more individual responsibility becomes diluted, creating a psychology of “someone else will decide.” This is exactly what we see in today’s large corporations. Those 20-person project meetings that end with “we’ll consider it by next time” without anyone making a clear decision are precisely the situation this proverb warned against.
What’s even more fascinating is that diversity of opinions doesn’t necessarily lead to better outcomes. Modern organizational psychology knows this as the “paradox of choice” – when there are too many options, people tend to postpone decisions. The ancient Chinese sages understood this fundamental human weakness through experience.
Many successful companies today still adopt a “small elite team” approach to decision-making. Amazon’s “two-pizza rule” (meeting participants should be limited to the number of people two pizzas can feed) is a modern implementation of this classical wisdom.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is that “high-quality decision-making requires appropriate scale and clear role division.” While listening to many opinions is important, leadership that organizes them and shows direction is equally important.
In modern society, we’re required to listen to diverse voices in all situations. However, trying to treat all opinions equally can sometimes cause confusion. What’s important is consulting the right people at the right time, and ultimately having the courage to make decisions with responsibility.
When you need to decide something, you don’t need to consult everyone around you. Listen to the opinions of a few people you truly trust, and have the courage to proceed with your own judgment in the end. Rather than seeking perfect answers, by focusing on “the best choice you can make now,” life should proceed much more smoothly.
Perhaps the wisdom of ancient China is gently encouraging you from behind.
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