How to Read “A departing ship waits for no boatman”
Defune ni sendō matazu
Meaning of “A departing ship waits for no boatman”
“A departing ship waits for no boatman” means you should take action when opportunity arrives, even if your preparations aren’t completely perfect.
The perfect moment for a ship to depart won’t wait for the boatman’s convenience. Similarly, opportunities in life won’t wait for you either.
If you wait for every condition to be perfect, the opportunity will pass you by.
People use this proverb when they want to tell perfectionists or overly cautious people that sometimes you need to make a flying start. It encourages those who hesitate out of fear of being unprepared, pushing them to act now.
This teaching remains relevant in modern society, especially regarding business opportunities and life’s turning points.
If you wait until everything is ready, competitors may get ahead of you, or the opportunity itself may disappear. Striving for perfection is important, but so is the judgment to seize the right timing.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, we can understand it by examining the words themselves.
“Defune” means a ship about to leave port. In Edo period port towns, tides and wind direction were critical factors for departure.
During the age of sailing ships, missing the moment when favorable winds blew and tides rose meant waiting days for the next opportunity.
The “sendō” or boatman is the person responsible for operating the ship. Normally, a ship cannot depart without the boatman.
However, this proverb conveys the reality that when opportunity arrives, the ship will leave even if the boatman is late.
This expression likely emerged from the realities of commercial activity. In Edo period maritime trade, racing against time determined profit.
Missing good wind and tide meant losing business opportunities and being overtaken by other ships. Therefore, merchants had to decide to depart when conditions aligned, even without perfect preparation.
This proverb probably originated from such maritime settings. Over time, it spread as a teaching about seizing opportunities in all aspects of life.
Usage Examples
- The new business plan got approved, so let’s start even though we don’t have full staff yet—a departing ship waits for no boatman
- I got a chance to study abroad but I’m worried about my English ability, but I decided to apply thinking a departing ship waits for no boatman
Universal Wisdom
“A departing ship waits for no boatman” speaks to an eternal human dilemma. It’s the conflict between our desire for perfection and the cold reality of time’s passage.
We instinctively fear failure. We want to prepare thoroughly and ensure everything is perfect before acting. This is a correct survival instinct.
However, time waits for no one. Opportunities have expiration dates, and they spoil while we hesitate.
This proverb has been passed down for centuries because people have always struggled between “preparation” and “timing.” Perfectionism is a virtue, but it can also become chains that prevent action.
Our ancestors understood how difficult this balance is.
What’s interesting is that this proverb doesn’t say “preparation is unnecessary.” The boatman is needed. But waiting for the boatman means the ship cannot depart.
In other words, you must have the courage to move forward even in an imperfect state.
In life, all conditions rarely align perfectly. Rather, we normally set sail in an incomplete state, learning and growing during the voyage.
This wisdom points to the truth that human growth is always a series of “flying starts.”
When AI Hears This
The decision whether to wait for the boatman when a ship departs is actually a coordination problem that everyone must solve simultaneously. In game theory, situations with multiple equilibrium points settle based on whether all participants’ expectations align.
What’s interesting is the asymmetry of each player’s position in this situation. The boatman is singular and irreplaceable, while passengers are multiple and replaceable.
This structure creates strategic power dynamics. If everyone thinks “we should wait for the boatman,” a waiting equilibrium forms. But if even one person predicts “depart without waiting,” others will also choose departure to avoid being left behind.
In other words, the no-waiting equilibrium is strategically more stable.
This can be explained by the concept of “risk-dominant equilibrium.” Waiting requires everyone’s coordination and carries high failure risk. Not waiting minimizes loss regardless of others’ actions.
For merchants who don’t want to miss business opportunities, moving forward is more rational than risking that everyone fails to depart while waiting for the boatman.
This proverb reveals a paradox: in group decision-making, aligning with the most important person isn’t necessarily optimal. In situations with high coordination costs, the equilibrium of moving quickly, even imperfectly, tends to be chosen.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches you the courage to escape the trap of perfectionism.
Modern society is an age of information overload. You can find every preparation method and risk information online.
As a result, we tend to postpone action, thinking “after I prepare more” or “after I study more.” But meanwhile, opportunities slip away moment by moment.
What matters is distinguishing between “minimum necessary preparation” and “perfect preparation.” You need minimum preparation to set sail, but you don’t need to wait until everything is ready.
Start moving with eighty percent preparation, and arrange the remaining twenty percent as you go. Such flexible attitude is what modern times demand.
Career changes, starting businesses, new challenges. When you stand at life’s crossroads, remember this proverb.
If you wait for perfection, your life’s ship will remain docked in port forever. If the wind is blowing, now is the time to raise your sails.
Being imperfect is fine. You can learn while sailing.
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