How to Read “Having millet but not eating it does not help against hunger”
Awa aredo mo kuwazareba ue ni eki nashi
Meaning of “Having millet but not eating it does not help against hunger”
This proverb means that no matter how good or valuable something you own is, it’s useless if you don’t actually use it.
For example, even if you have excellent knowledge or skills, no results come from them unless you put them into practice.
If you own expensive tools but keep them stored away without using them, it’s a waste of treasure.
Even if you have wonderful ideas, nothing changes unless you take action.
People use this proverb when pointing out someone who is satisfied just owning things, or situations where resources aren’t being utilized.
It’s also used as a reminder to oneself.
In modern times, this teaching becomes even more important because we live in an era overflowing with information and opportunities.
Practice what you’ve learned. Demonstrate the abilities you have. Make use of the opportunities you’ve gained.
This proverb teaches us concisely the importance of such “action.”
Origin and Etymology
There doesn’t seem to be a definite record of the clear source of this proverb, but the structure of the phrase reveals an interesting background.
Millet has been an important grain cultivated in Japan since ancient times.
It was easier to grow than rice and could thrive even in poor soil, so it was widely enjoyed as a staple food for common people.
However, no matter how much millet was stored in the warehouse, hunger couldn’t be satisfied without eating it. This obvious fact is the core of this proverb.
The classical expression “kuwazareba” means “if you don’t eat.”
“Ue ni eki nashi” means “it doesn’t help at all in solving hunger.”
This expression likely originated from actual experiences in agricultural society.
Carefully storing harvested grain was important, but it was meaningless if not used when needed.
Stories of people who starved to death during famines while hoarding their stores may have been passed down as lessons.
The structure of the phrase is very simple, expressing the universal truth that “just having something is meaningless” through “food,” which is directly connected to life.
This direct method of expression became the power that made it memorable as a proverb for a long time.
Usage Examples
- You have lots of certifications, but having millet but not eating it does not help against hunger—they’re meaningless if you don’t actually use them
- I studied English but avoided chances to speak, and I realized it was exactly like having millet but not eating it does not help against hunger
Universal Wisdom
The reason this proverb has been passed down is that it points out a fundamental human contradiction. We are creatures who feel secure in “having” things.
We feel safe when grain is in the warehouse. We feel satisfied when we accumulate knowledge. We think we’re fully prepared when we gather tools.
However, humanity has known for thousands of years the truth that what really matters is not “having” but “using.”
Why do people become satisfied just by having things? It’s because there’s fear in taking action.
If you use it, it decreases. You might fail. You might be judged. Because of such anxieties, we lock away precious things.
But living is essentially about “consuming.” Food supports life when eaten, knowledge becomes wisdom when used, and abilities create value when demonstrated.
The balance between preserving and utilizing—this is a challenge humanity faces eternally.
Our ancestors expressed this deep truth through the most basic act of “eating.”
It’s a strict yet warm teaching that no matter how wonderful something is, if it doesn’t perform a living function, it’s the same as not existing.
When AI Hears This
Just storing millet actually causes the millet’s energy to gradually be lost. This is an iron law of the universe shown by the second law of thermodynamics.
Anything left alone inevitably proceeds toward deterioration. Millet absorbs moisture, oxidizes, gets infested with insects, and eventually becomes inedible.
In other words, the state of “having” is not actually static, but slowly moving toward worthlessness.
What’s important here is the timing of energy conversion. The act of eating millet means converting chemical energy into a form usable for life activities.
But once millet deteriorates, conversion efficiency drops sharply. For example, fresh rice and old rice have different digestion and absorption rates even with the same calorie label.
This is due to changes in molecular structure.
This principle also applies to knowledge and skills. Even if you have programming language knowledge, if you don’t use it, the language itself becomes outdated and market value drops.
Web technology learned in 2010 is almost unusable in 2024. Knowledge stored only in the brain weakens neural connections and becomes difficult to recall.
In other words, “potential energy” inevitably decays over time unless actually converted into work.
The universe mercilessly transforms unused energy into disorder. That’s why using what you have now has rationality at the level of physical laws.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is the importance of “the courage to use what you have now.”
We tend to spend too much time preparing because we seek perfection. After studying more, after gaining more experience, after conditions are better arranged.
While saying such things, aren’t the things you worked hard to obtain remaining dormant?
What’s important is trying to use what you have now, even if imperfectly.
Only by using it do you understand whether it’s truly helpful and what’s missing. You might fail sometimes.
But if you just keep having it without using it, you can’t even fail.
Inside you, there must be abilities not yet demonstrated and experiences not yet utilized. They’re waiting to be used.
A small step is enough. Try telling someone what you’ve learned, give form to an idea, make something with the tools you have.
By taking action, fruitfulness is born in your life. Not millet sleeping in the warehouse, but a bowl of porridge that becomes today’s sustenance—create it with your own hands.
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