How to Read “A dimple hides seven flaws”
ekubo wa shichinan kakusu
Meaning of “A dimple hides seven flaws”
This proverb means that a beautiful smile has the power to make many flaws less noticeable. Everyone has shortcomings or imperfections of some kind.
But if you have an attractive smile, those weaknesses become less important. This is how human psychology works.
Even if someone’s features aren’t perfect, even if their personality has some issues, a bright genuine smile creates a mysterious sense of goodwill. This proverb celebrates the magical power that smiles possess.
Even today, smiles remain crucial for first impressions and human relationships. In our stressful modern society, the value of a smile that puts people at ease has only grown stronger.
This proverb teaches us that caring about a heartfelt smile matters more than worrying about minor physical flaws.
Origin and Etymology
The word “ekubo” (dimple) in this proverb refers to the small indentation that appears in the cheeks when someone smiles. “Shichinan” means many difficulties or flaws.
This expression has been used in Japanese for a long time.
The exact origin of this proverb isn’t clear. However, it was already widely known by the Edo period. Literary works and essays from that time mention how beautiful smiles have the power to soothe people’s hearts.
What’s interesting is that this proverb focuses not on physical beauty itself, but on the power of a “smile” as an expression. Dimples only appear when you smile.
So this proverb celebrates the charm of dynamic facial expressions, not static beauty.
Traditional Japanese aesthetics valued modest and reserved beauty. But at the same time, the power of a smile that puts people at ease was also highly appreciated.
This proverb may represent both sides of Japanese aesthetic sensibility.
The expression “shichinan” may have been influenced by Buddhist terminology. The number “seven” has often been used in Japanese as a conventional way to express “many.”
In other words, this number was chosen to emphasize the overwhelming charm of a smile.
Interesting Facts
Dimples are a genetic trait caused by the structure of cheek muscles. Individual differences in where the risorius muscle attaches to the skin determine whether someone has dimples.
Medically, they’re called “dimples” and are recognized as an attractive feature worldwide.
The expression “shichinan” appears in other phrases besides this proverb. For example, “onna no shichinan” lists flaws supposedly possessed by women.
However, that phrase is used in a different context. The “seven flaws” that a smile can hide likely refer to the general human imperfections that everyone has.
Usage Examples
- She’s not exactly a beauty, but as they say, a dimple hides seven flaws—when you see that smile, everyone feels energized
- Even if I’m not confident about my looks, a dimple hides seven flaws, so I try never to forget to smile
Universal Wisdom
The universal truth in this proverb lies in the mysterious mechanism of how humans evaluate others. We try to rationally judge someone’s abilities and qualities.
But in reality, emotional impressions have a huge influence.
A smile is the most primitive signal showing that you have no hostility and that your heart is open. Even without shared language or culture, smiles function as a universal communication tool.
That’s why people with beautiful smiles can unconsciously lower others’ defenses and draw out goodwill.
Looking deeper, this proverb assumes human imperfection. It accepts the reality that everyone has flaws. Yet it still offers wisdom for how people can interact comfortably with each other.
No one is perfect. This proverb contains both the resignation that perfection is impossible and the hope that smiles can overcome that reality.
Also, smiles are expressions you can create intentionally. In other words, this proverb emphasizes elements you can control through your own will, not inherited appearance.
This isn’t fatalism. It’s an expression of a positive view of humanity that believes in the possibility of self-improvement.
When AI Hears This
The human brain receives 11 million bits of information per second. But it can only consciously process about 40 bits.
This means the brain constantly faces choices about “what to pay attention to.” Smiles have overwhelming power to monopolize these limited attention resources.
In psychologist Solomon Asch’s experiments, giving a person just one positive trait like “warm” made subjects rate that person’s intelligence and abilities higher too. Smiles work through the same mechanism.
The moment you see a face, the powerful positive signal of a smile consumes most of your attention resources. This leaves physically no capacity to analyze other elements like skin condition or facial structure. The brain simply doesn’t have enough capacity.
What’s more interesting is that the impression formed in that first 0.1 seconds continues functioning as an “anchor.” Once you judge “this person seems nice,” even flaws you notice later get reinterpreted through the filter of “but their smile is lovely.”
The brain dislikes contradiction, so it unconsciously distorts information to justify its initial judgment.
In other words, what hides the seven flaws isn’t the smile itself. It’s the brain’s processing limitations and the structural characteristics of cognitive systems that try to maintain consistency.
This proverb had intuitively grasped the fundamental constraints of the human brain through experience.
Lessons for Today
For those of us living today, this proverb resonates as a quiet rebuttal to appearance-obsessed culture. In an age when perfectly edited images flood social media, we need to remember the value of genuine smiles over manufactured beauty.
If you’re worried about your own flaws, this proverb offers hope. You don’t need to be perfect.
What matters is whether you have a smile that makes people feel warm. That’s not an inborn talent. It’s something you can cultivate through daily mindfulness.
At work or at home, smiles act as lubricant that smooths human relationships. Even in difficult negotiations or handling complaints, starting with a smile often turns situations around.
However, this proverb isn’t recommending superficial fake smiles. Genuine smiles have the power to move people’s hearts.
Being in a positive frame of mind yourself—that’s the source that produces natural smiles.
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