How to Read “If the hackberry bears fruit, let it bear; the tree is a mukutree”
Enoki no mi wa naraba nare, ki wa muku no ki
Meaning of “If the hackberry bears fruit, let it bear; the tree is a mukutree”
This proverb means that you cannot change the essential nature of something, no matter how much you wish for it.
Just as a hackberry tree will never become a mukutree, whether it bears fruit or not, the fundamental qualities we are born with cannot be changed no matter how hard we try.
People use this saying when someone is struggling to change their basic nature or when they have unrealistic expectations about changing something’s essential qualities.
For example, you might say, “Even if you want that person to change, if the hackberry bears fruit, let it bear; the tree is a mukutree.”
This reminds us to accept reality as it is.
In modern times, we emphasize self-improvement and change. But this proverb teaches us the importance of recognizing what cannot be changed.
Rather than forcing ourselves to change our basic nature, we should understand our inborn qualities and find ways to make the most of them.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the exact origin of this proverb. However, we can learn interesting things from how the phrase is constructed.
Both the hackberry (enoki) and mukutree (muku) are deciduous trees that have grown naturally in Japanese villages and forests since ancient times.
The hackberry belongs to the elm family, while the mukutree belongs to the hemp family. They are completely different species.
The hackberry produces small, round fruits that turn reddish-brown in autumn. The mukutree also bears small fruits, but its characteristics and nature are clearly different from the hackberry.
This proverb expresses a law of nature: “No matter how much fruit the hackberry bears, it will never become a mukutree.”
No matter how much you wish, a hackberry remains a hackberry, and a mukutree remains a mukutree.
People in the past deeply understood this unchangeable essence through observing familiar trees.
For people living in farming villages, recognizing the qualities of different trees was essential wisdom for daily life.
They used hackberries as hackberries and mukutrees as mukutrees, taking advantage of each tree’s unique properties.
Words born from such daily observations gradually evolved into a profound proverb about human nature and destiny.
Interesting Facts
Both hackberry and mukutree were treasured as “guardian trees” often planted at shrine grounds and village entrances.
Hackberries were especially common along highways as markers for distance posts, serving as landmarks for travelers.
The two trees in this proverb were deeply rooted in Japanese daily life.
Wild birds love to eat hackberry fruits, so these trees are known for attracting birds.
Mukutree fruits also serve as bird food. However, mukutrees grow quickly while hackberries grow relatively slowly.
Even though they look similar, their essential characteristics are quite different.
Usage Examples
- It’s useless to expect him to be meticulous. If the hackberry bears fruit, let it bear; the tree is a mukutree.
- I tried to change my personality through effort, but if the hackberry bears fruit, let it bear; the tree is a mukutree. I ended up returning to my original self.
Universal Wisdom
Behind this proverb lies a fundamental conflict that humans have always faced.
It is the eternal theme of swinging between the desire to “change” and the reality of “being unable to change.”
We all hold ideals about how we or others “should be.” Wanting to become more cheerful or wishing someone would be more serious is natural.
However, through observing nature, our ancestors realized that some essential qualities truly cannot be changed.
Just as a hackberry remains a hackberry, humans also have an unchangeable core. This is not a flaw.
It is a person’s individuality and the foundation of their identity.
This proverb does not teach resignation. Rather, it teaches the importance of accepting one’s essential nature.
Instead of suffering by trying to force change, we should understand that nature and find ways to use it well.
Just as a hackberry has value as a hackberry and a mukutree has value as a mukutree, people have value just as they are.
This deep understanding of human nature is why this proverb continues to live across generations.
When AI Hears This
The phenomenon of confusing hackberry and mukutree actually demonstrates an interesting example of “niche differentiation” in ecology.
Niche differentiation means similar organisms choose slightly different lifestyles to avoid competition.
Hackberry and mukutree grow in similar environments and look alike, but their flowering and fruit ripening times are subtly different.
This temporal separation allows them to coexist without competing for the same birds and insects.
From a cognitive efficiency perspective, humans confusing these two trees is actually rational.
The brain reduces information processing costs by grouping similar things into the same category.
If a rough classification like “edible tree fruits” versus “inedible tree fruits” is sufficient, there is no need to strictly distinguish hackberry from mukutree.
Even more interesting is that this vague recognition might benefit the plants themselves.
Even if hackberry fruits taste unpleasant to birds, being confused with mukutree fruits means birds remember them as “fruits from those similar-looking trees.”
As a result, neither tree gets eaten too intensively. In other words, misrecognition functions like “protective coloration” that disperses predation pressure.
Human vague perception is actually incorporated into the ecosystem’s balance.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people “the courage to accept things as they are.”
In today’s self-improvement culture, we constantly face pressure to “become a better version of ourselves.”
However, not everything can be changed.
What matters is the wisdom to distinguish between what can be changed and what cannot.
Your core qualities are not flaws. They are what makes you who you are.
Rather than forcing an introverted personality to become extroverted, find ways to use introversion’s strengths.
Rather than denying an impatient nature, make that sense of speed your weapon. This kind of perspective shift is necessary.
The same applies to others. Instead of trying to change someone’s essential nature, understand and accept their uniqueness.
Real relationships begin from there.
A hackberry is beautiful as a hackberry. A mukutree has value as a mukutree.
You have enough value just as you are. When you accept this fact, true growth begins.
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