How to Read “Fail to catch the horsefly and get stung by the bee”
Abu mo torazu hachi ni sasareru
Meaning of “Fail to catch the horsefly and get stung by the bee”
“Fail to catch the horsefly and get stung by the bee” means you gain nothing and suffer additional harm on top of that.
It describes a situation where you try to get multiple things at once out of greed. You end up with nothing and actually get hurt in the process.
This proverb warns against the worst outcome that comes from excessive greed or taking too many risks.
You overlook what you could have gotten for sure. You make a dangerous choice seeking bigger gains. You lose everything and end up in an even worse position than before.
Today, people use this saying in various situations. Someone loses money on investments. Someone takes on multiple jobs and ruins their health.
Someone dates two people at once and gets rejected by both. It describes cases where you not only failed to gain anything but actively suffered damage or loss.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first appearance of this proverb in literature is unclear. However, it likely came from a more widely known expression called “Abu hachi torazu.”
“Abu hachi torazu” means trying to get two things at once and ending up with neither.
Both horseflies and bees are flying insects. Horseflies are relatively calm and easy to catch. Bees are aggressive and dangerous.
If you try to catch both a horsefly and a bee with your two hands at the same time, you will miss both. That was the lesson of “Abu hachi torazu.”
“Fail to catch the horsefly and get stung by the bee” describes an even worse version of this situation.
You get greedy and go after both. You not only fail to catch either one, but you also get stung by the bee and suffer pain.
This expression perfectly captures a situation where you make a risky choice and end up with only losses.
During the Edo period, catching insects was a familiar experience in common people’s daily lives.
The proverb may have come from children’s failed attempts at catching bugs. You ignore the horsefly you could catch safely. You reach for the dangerous bee instead.
You end up getting hurt. This lesson was naturally passed down as practical wisdom from everyday life.
Interesting Facts
Horseflies and bees look similar, but their behavior is very different.
Horseflies are gentle insects that drink flower nectar. They almost never sting people. Bees, on the other hand, can become aggressive when protecting their nests.
Getting stung by a bee causes strong pain. This proverb cleverly uses the different natures of these two insects. It contrasts a safe choice with a dangerous one.
The similar proverb “Abu hachi torazu” appears in Edo period literature.
“Fail to catch the horsefly and get stung by the bee” is a version where the situation gets even worse. It carries a stronger warning tone.
This shows the richness of Japanese language in expressing different levels of loss step by step.
Usage Examples
- He started a side job and neglected his main work, then got fired from both. This is exactly what “Fail to catch the horsefly and get stung by the bee” means.
- I tried to work on two projects at the same time. Both failed, and I even lost my client’s trust. It truly became a case of “Fail to catch the horsefly and get stung by the bee.”
Universal Wisdom
“Fail to catch the horsefly and get stung by the bee” offers deep insight into the relationship between human desire and judgment.
Why do people give up what is certain to take dangerous risks for something bigger?
It happens because of two human tendencies. First, we have hope that “there must be something better out there.” Second, we feel dissatisfied with what we have now.
The certain option right in front of us often looks plain and unsatisfying. Meanwhile, the risky option seems to shine brightly.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because this human nature never changes across time.
People in ancient times and people today both repeat the same experience. They get too greedy, fail, and end up getting hurt.
What makes this proverb interesting is that it includes not just failure but active harm – getting “stung.”
This shows that reckless choices bring more than just missed opportunities. They cause active damage.
In life, loss from doing nothing and loss from wrong action are completely different in nature. Our ancestors sharply understood this difference.
When AI Hears This
This proverb shows a two-stage failure structure in human strategic choice. When analyzed through game theory, an extremely interesting pattern emerges.
Let’s say the expected value of catching a horsefly is 10 points. This is a safe choice with an 80 percent success rate for a small gain.
But if you go after the bee, the success rate drops to 20 percent while the expected return is about 30 points.
At first glance, the expected value of 6 points doesn’t look bad. However, humans make a fatal calculation error here.
They underestimate the risk of getting stung by the bee – a loss of minus 50 points.
The key point is that when you give up the horsefly, you lock in minus 10 points as opportunity cost.
Then if you fail with the bee, you add another minus 50 points. That’s a total of minus 60 points.
This isn’t just failure. It’s a multiplication structure of losses.
Research by behavioral economist Kahneman shows that when profit appears before them, humans suddenly become risk-seeking and their probability calculations get distorted.
Investment fraud victims who cancel their savings accounts to buy suspicious high-return products fall into exactly this double-loss trap.
They lose the guaranteed interest and lose the principal too. This proverb captures this structural danger with surprising accuracy.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is the importance of “selection and concentration.”
In modern society overflowing with information and endless choices, you naturally want to try many things.
When you look at social media, you see people succeeding. You think maybe you can do the same things.
But what truly matters is identifying what has real value for you and focusing on that.
You don’t need to get everything. Rather, by spreading yourself too thin, you might lose what you could have gotten. You might even suffer unexpected losses.
If you’re standing before multiple choices right now, stop and think for a moment.
How much risk does each option carry? Do you really need to pursue both?
Valuing what you can certainly obtain is not a passive choice. It’s a wise decision to protect your life and move forward steadily.
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