How to Read “Even God forgives a merchant’s lies”
Akindo no uso wa kami mo oyurushi
Meaning of “Even God forgives a merchant’s lies”
This proverb means that small lies or exaggerations in business are okay if they don’t come from bad intentions. The “lies” here aren’t meant to trick or hurt people.
Instead, they’re ways to make products look better or tactics used when negotiating prices.
For example, saying “Today only – special price!” or “Only a few left!” are common sales phrases. During negotiations, merchants might say “I can’t go any lower.”
These statements might not be completely true. But in the business world, they’ve always been accepted as normal selling techniques.
People use this proverb to justify small exaggerations in business. It also helps reduce guilt about these practices.
Even today, salespeople and marketers need to balance complete honesty with effective selling. However, consumer protection laws have made the acceptable limits much stricter over time.
Origin and Etymology
No one knows exactly when this proverb first appeared. But it likely started and spread during Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868) among merchants.
During the Edo period, merchants ranked lowest in the social class system called “shi-no-ko-sho” (samurai, farmers, craftsmen, merchants).
But merchants actually controlled most economic activity. They developed their own ethics and business wisdom. The concept of “bargaining” became very important in their culture.
Merchants learned from experience that some exaggeration was unavoidable. When negotiating prices or describing products, they couldn’t always be 100% literal.
Phrases like “This is the best quality!” or “I really can’t lower the price anymore” weren’t always completely true. But they were accepted expressions in business.
The phrase “Even God forgives” shows merchants’ complicated feelings. They felt some guilt about lying. But they also believed these lies were necessary to make business work.
At the same time, they argued that harmless business lies should be morally acceptable. This self-justification became part of merchant culture.
Usage Examples
- That store’s “going out of business sale” has lasted six months now. Well, I guess even God forgives a merchant’s lies.
- Exaggerating a little in sales is within the range of “even God forgives a merchant’s lies,” but lying about your actual results is definitely wrong.
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has survived because it addresses a timeless tension. It’s about the conflict between “truth” and “practical needs” in human society.
As children, we’re taught “never lie.” But as adults, we realize that complete honesty doesn’t always work in the real world.
In business especially, making your products or services look attractive is necessary for survival. If you’re too honest, you can’t make sales. Then you can’t support your family.
This proverb shows human wisdom when facing this reality. People must find a balance between perfect morals and practical needs.
The phrase “even God forgives” isn’t just an excuse. It actually shows deep self-awareness.
Everyone struggles between ideals and reality. We want to be completely honest and pure. But we also need to survive in the real world.
This proverb acknowledges that struggle. It says “compromises without bad intentions should be forgiven.” It’s not justifying hypocrisy.
Instead, it affirms that imperfect humans can still try to live honestly. It accepts human limitations while encouraging integrity.
When AI Hears This
Think of business transactions as an information game. Sellers and buyers negotiate without knowing each other’s true information.
The seller knows the product’s real value, but the buyer doesn’t. This creates information asymmetry. If everyone shared only completely honest information, trades would actually become harder to complete.
Research on used car markets shows an interesting pattern. When sellers honestly mention every flaw like “this car has small scratches,” buyers become suspicious.
They think “what else are they hiding?” But exaggerated phrases like “this is the best car!” work differently. Buyers know to “take it with a grain of salt.”
Some exaggeration becomes a “translation code” that both sides understand. It’s an unspoken rule that helps communication work.
Signal theory explains this as “signals with noise can be more stable.” Demanding perfect honesty creates huge verification costs. This slows down all transactions.
But when everyone knows “merchants exaggerate a bit,” buyers can quickly think “I’ll discount that by 20%.” This speeds up the entire market.
This proverb represents cultural wisdom about optimal lying levels. It shows a paradox: moderate opacity works better than complete transparency for keeping the economy moving.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us about balancing perfectionism and realism. This balance matters more than ever today.
Social media has made everyone an information broadcaster. We constantly need to “sell” ourselves and our work.
When writing resumes, giving presentations, or doing self-promotion, we face temptation. We want to make ourselves look as good as possible.
This proverb acknowledges how hard complete honesty can be. But it also warns us not to cross certain lines.
The key is learning to tell “small lies” from “harmful lies.” Don’t deceive people for profit. Keep your exaggerations within mutually acceptable limits.
Modern people need the ability to recognize these boundaries.
When you communicate something, you don’t need to be so perfectly truthful that you can’t function. But never lie in ways that betray people’s trust.
Finding the middle ground of “honest creativity” is wisdom for living today. That’s what this old proverb can teach us now.
Comments