How to Read “富士の山ほど願うて蟻塚ほど叶う”
Fuji no yama hodo gan’ute arizuka hodo kanau
Meaning of “富士の山ほど願うて蟻塚ほど叶う”
This proverb means that while people harbor wishes as grand as Mount Fuji, what actually comes true is only something as small as an anthill.
Human desires and ideals tend to expand infinitely, but reality is not so forgiving. No matter how magnificent the dreams we envision, what we actually obtain is very little. This is not a proverb that encourages giving up, but rather teaches the importance of viewing reality with a clear perspective. Having big wishes is not a bad thing, but at the same time, a realistic viewpoint is also necessary. This proverb is used when cautioning against excessive expectations in oneself or others, or when explaining the importance of realistic planning. It is often used by people with life experience when gently teaching reality to young people or those burning with idealism.
Origin and Etymology
While detailed literary records about the origin of this proverb do not remain, it is believed to have been used since the Edo period. The contrast between Mount Fuji and an anthill was a very understandable metaphor for Japanese people.
Mount Fuji has long been Japan’s highest peak and an object of people’s admiration and reverence. On the other hand, anthills were familiar presences that were cherished as crystallizations of the steady efforts of ants. By contrasting these two, the magnitude of human desires and the harshness of reality were expressed.
The word “wish” is also an important element. For people of the Edo period, having wishes was the driving force of life. However, they also frequently experienced that reality often did not go as expected. This proverb is presumed to have been born from such common people’s real feelings.
Behind the establishment of this proverb lies the realistic life philosophy of Japanese people. It reflects cultural values that recognize the importance of having big dreams while also emphasizing the flexibility to accept reality. It can be said to be an expression of Japanese wisdom that combines lofty ideals like Mount Fuji with familiar reality like anthills.
Interesting Facts
Mount Fuji’s height is 3,776 meters, but anthills are usually only a few centimeters to several tens of centimeters tall. This overwhelming difference in height makes the metaphorical effect of this proverb stand out.
Ants are known as insects that can carry weights up to 50 times their own body weight, and have long been cherished as symbols of achieving reliable results despite being small.
Usage Examples
- I dreamed of great success in starting a business, but it was a case of “Wishing as much as Mount Fuji and being granted as much as an anthill”—in the end, I could barely manage to earn a small profit
- I think about becoming a millionaire through the lottery every day, but “Wishing as much as Mount Fuji and being granted as much as an anthill” is probably the reality
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of this proverb has become more complex. With the spread of social media, others’ successes have become more visible, and more people harbor grand wishes. By being exposed to the glamorous success stories of influencers and entrepreneurs, many people think “I can do the same.”
However, the efforts and failures behind success are actually hard to see, and as a result, there is no end to people who face the reality of “Wishing as much as Mount Fuji and being granted as much as an anthill.” Particularly in the side business boom and investment boom, while many people expect large profits in a short time, they actually end up painfully realizing the importance of accumulating small results.
On the other hand, in modern times it has been proven that even “anthill-sized results” can become great power if continued. In content creation like blogs and YouTube, even if the initial response is small, continuing can lead to great influence.
Precisely because we live in a modern age where technological advancement has expanded the possibilities for individuals to achieve great things, the lesson of “the importance of facing reality” that this proverb holds may have become even more important.
When AI Hears This
The human brain has a fascinating mechanism called “construal level theory.” This refers to the tendency to think about distant goals abstractly while thinking about near goals concretely.
When we “wish as high as Mount Fuji,” the brain focuses on abstract reasons of “why we want to do it.” For example, when thinking “I want to achieve world peace,” our minds become filled with idealistic thoughts, making it impossible to see “what we should do tomorrow.” Research by psychologist Trope and others has shown that people with bigger goals tend to be unable to create specific action plans.
On the other hand, with “wishes as small as an anthill,” the brain focuses on “how to achieve it.” If you want to “score 80 points on next month’s test,” you can immediately come up with actionable plans like “study 2 hours every day” or “start with math, which I’m weak at.”
What’s even more interesting is that neuroscientifically, big goals create too high a load on the prefrontal cortex, weakening the signals to the motor cortex that governs actual behavior. In other words, the brain is equipped with a mechanism where the bigger the wish, the less the body moves.
This proverb is evidence that people in the Edo period had intuitively grasped through experience what modern cognitive science has revealed as the “inverse relationship between psychological distance and behavioral execution ability.”
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is the importance of a balanced life philosophy. Having big dreams is wonderful, but at the same time, we must not forget the heart that also values small achievements.
In modern society, only “great success” tends to get attention, but it is the small daily accumulations that truly enrich life. Even anthill-like small results are your steady progress. Don’t seek perfection too much—start with what you can do now.
Also, this proverb frees us from comparison with others. It reminds us of the value of walking at our own pace without being misled by the glamorous success stories we see on social media. People who can harbor Mount Fuji-like grand wishes while also noticing anthill-like small happiness are perhaps those who can truly live rich lives. What’s important is having a heart that values both ideals and reality.
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