How to Read “When one person shoots well, a hundred warriors pick up their arrows”
Hitori yoku ireba hyappu kesshusu
Meaning of “When one person shoots well, a hundred warriors pick up their arrows”
This proverb means that one excellent person can give courage and confidence to many others, energizing an entire organization.
Just as a hundred soldiers feel safe gathering arrows when they see a skilled archer reliably hitting enemies, the actions of someone with outstanding ability can inspire those around them.
You use this proverb when emphasizing the importance of leaders or pioneers.
In difficult situations, when even one person with real ability leads the way and shows results, others gain the courage to think “I can do this too” and take action.
Today, it’s used to describe people whose presence greatly influences those around them. This includes ace players on sports teams, key figures in projects, and pioneers opening new fields.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to come from ancient Chinese classics.
The word “kesshu” means gathering arrows, describing a specific action on the battlefield.
In ancient warfare, bows and arrows were crucial weapons. During battle, arrows were consumable supplies.
Collecting used arrows was an important job for soldiers. However, retrieving arrows while exposed to enemy attacks required considerable courage.
The key point is the presence of one excellent archer.
When a hundred soldiers saw this archer reliably hitting enemies and protecting allies, they could safely gather arrows.
Because they trusted the skilled archer to accurately control the enemy, other soldiers could fulfill their roles without fear.
This saying is deeply connected to military strategy teachings about leadership and exemplary figures.
It expresses a universal truth through the extreme situation of battle. One person’s exceptional ability can raise the morale of an entire group and move an organization forward.
Usage Examples
- When one person shoots well, a hundred warriors pick up their arrows—newcomer A’s success raised the entire department’s motivation
- That player’s presence alone changes the whole team, truly when one person shoots well, a hundred warriors pick up their arrows
Universal Wisdom
Humans are fundamentally creatures who gain courage by seeing someone else’s success.
This proverb shows the power of one excellent person as a “catalyst.” Why can one archer move a hundred people? Because humans live with anxiety and fear.
Soldiers originally feared the dangerous act of picking up arrows on the battlefield.
But with an archer who reliably hits enemies, that fear eases. This isn’t just the security of “someone protecting us.”
It’s the sprouting of hope: “If that person can do it, maybe I can too.”
People fear solitary challenges. But when they see someone who has already blazed the trail, that path starts to seem realistic.
One excellent person becomes “living proof” that transforms the impossible into the possible.
That’s why throughout human history, stories of pioneers and heroes have been told again and again.
This proverb has been passed down because humans instinctively seek “role models.”
Someone’s brilliance lights a fire in the hearts of those around them. That chain reaction is the driving force that has helped humanity overcome difficulties.
When AI Hears This
The phenomenon where one excellent archer changes a hundred people is exactly what physics calls a “critical phenomenon.”
When you cool water, it stays liquid until a certain temperature. But the moment it crosses the critical point of 0 degrees, the whole thing suddenly turns to ice.
This dramatic change happens with just a one-degree temperature difference.
Groups operate on the same principle. When 99 people are hesitating, that’s called a “metastable state.”
They can change anytime but lack a trigger for change. When one reliable archer joins them, that presence functions as an “external magnetic field.”
Magnet research shows that when scattered atomic spins align in one direction, neighboring atoms successively face the same direction in a “domino-like chain reaction.”
What’s interesting is that the energy needed for this change is surprisingly small.
According to physicist Ising’s model calculations, near the critical point the “correlation length” diverges to infinity.
In other words, one person’s influence spreads throughout the whole regardless of distance. That’s why one person is enough even for a hundred people.
This phenomenon has a “threshold.” A mediocre archer won’t trigger phase transition.
You need a clear difference that exceeds the critical point. That’s the condition of “shooting well.”
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is a new perspective on your own potential.
Maybe you feel “nothing will change even if I try hard alone.” But this proverb tells you the exact opposite.
One person’s solid action can become the power to move many people around them.
When you seriously work on something and show even small but certain results, someone is definitely watching.
That sight might encourage someone’s “first step.” Even without the title of leader, your sincere actions themselves can become an existence that gives courage to those around you.
At the same time, this proverb teaches the importance of looking around you.
Do you notice the “excellent archers” around you? Receive courage from their efforts and take action yourself.
Then next time, you become someone’s source of courage. One person’s brilliance moves a hundred people, and those hundred people move even more.
You can start this chain of hope yourself.
Comments