How to Read “East is east, west is west”
Higashi wa higashi, nishi wa nishi
Meaning of “East is east, west is west”
“East is east, west is west” is a proverb that means people with different positions or values can never truly understand each other, no matter how hard they try.
This proverb is used when acknowledging that mutual understanding has limits. This happens when cultural backgrounds, upbringing, or beliefs are fundamentally different.
People use it especially when long discussions lead nowhere. It applies when no compromise can be found, or when differences in values feel too large to bridge.
Today, this expression appears not only in international relations or cross-cultural exchanges. It also describes generational gaps, workplace disagreements, and family conflicts.
People use this phrase because it contains a sense of resignation or acceptance. Sometimes it’s more realistic to acknowledge differences and respect each position rather than force understanding.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb comes from British poet Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The Ballad of East and West.” The opening line “East is East, and West is West” was introduced to Japan and became established there.
Kipling wrote about the cultural gap between East and West based on his experiences in India during the late 19th century.
The poem reached Japan during the late Meiji period through the Taisho period. At that time, Japan was actively adopting Western civilization while searching for its Eastern identity.
This phrase expressing the East-West divide resonated deeply with Japanese people during this period of cultural transformation.
Interestingly, Kipling’s original poem continues beyond this famous line. It says that when East and West stand before God on Judgment Day, there will be neither East nor West.
The full poem emphasizes surface differences while ultimately teaching human universality. However, in Japan, only the first part spread as an independent proverb.
It became used to express the incompatibility of different values, separate from Kipling’s original message of ultimate unity.
Usage Examples
- He and I always clash when politics comes up. East is east, west is west, so I’ve decided to avoid that topic
- Our parents’ generation has a fundamentally different view of work. East is east, west is west—some things we just can’t understand about each other
Universal Wisdom
The universal wisdom in “East is east, west is west” offers deep insight into human diversity and the unavoidable divisions it creates.
We humans each grow up in different environments. We accumulate different experiences and form different values.
These values aren’t just surface-level preferences. They form the foundation of each person’s entire life. That’s why certain differences can never be bridged, no matter how many words we exchange.
This proverb has been passed down through generations because humans constantly struggle between two forces. We have the desire to understand each other and the reality that we cannot.
We instinctively seek empathy and want to be understood. But we also face others we simply cannot understand, which confuses and sometimes hurts us.
This wisdom teaches not resignation but the courage to accept reality. Recognizing that we don’t need to understand everyone allows us to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
We can focus our limited energy on relationships that truly matter. Acknowledging differences is actually a form of respect for others.
When AI Hears This
Earth is a sphere, so if you keep traveling east or west, you eventually return to the same place. From a topological perspective, east and west are actually “connected.”
In topology, shapes that can be continuously transformed without cutting share the same properties. Any two points on Earth can be connected by a line without cutting.
So mathematically, the claim that east and west “never meet” doesn’t hold up.
What’s more interesting is that the east-west distinction itself depends on choosing a coordinate system. If you stand at the North Pole, every direction is south. East and west don’t exist there.
This means “East is east, west is west” as a division only works from a specific viewpoint. It’s a local perception.
This reveals something essential about human conflict structures. Feeling that cultural or value differences are “absolutely incompatible” happens because we’re bound to our own coordinate system.
Change your perspective—for example, view Earth from space—and the east-west distinction disappears. Mathematics teaches us that division isn’t an absolute property.
It’s an apparent phenomenon created by the observer’s position. From a global perspective, everything is connected.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people a liberating truth: “You don’t need to understand everyone.”
In modern society, especially with social media, we constantly face disagreements with others. We get frustrated asking “Why don’t they understand?” and desperately try to persuade them.
But this proverb gives us a chance to pause and reflect.
What matters is choosing how to relate after acknowledging differences. You don’t need to overcome every difference.
Sometimes keeping distance is one way to respect each other. Save your energy for relationships that truly matter, where compromise is possible.
This proverb also gives us courage to value our own beliefs. In an age that respects diversity, you don’t need to lose yourself by conforming too much to others.
East remains east, west remains west, and we can accept each other as we are. That might be what mature coexistence looks like.
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