How to Read “When the mole cricket gets angry, the thrush rejoices”
Kera haradatereba tsugumi yorokobu
Meaning of “When the mole cricket gets angry, the thrush rejoices”
This proverb means that when a weak person gets angry and acts tough, they only become a laughingstock to those around them.
It warns against the foolishness of powerless people putting on empty shows of strength.
You use this saying when you see someone acting big without the ability or position to back it up.
It also applies when you catch yourself about to behave that way.
It’s especially effective when pointing out situations where getting angry and making a fuss only exposes your own weakness and powerlessness.
This expression works better than simply saying “it’s pointless” because it uses the relationship between creatures in nature to convey both the ridiculousness and pitifulness of such behavior.
Even today, you see people without real ability making loud claims on social media or losing their temper without considering their position.
In such situations, this proverb offers a calm perspective: “The more you make noise, the more you advertise your own powerlessness.”
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records of this proverb’s origin seem to exist, but we can make interesting observations from how the phrase is constructed.
The mole cricket is a small insect that lives underground. It spends its life beneath the soil with large, developed front legs.
But its body is small, and it’s certainly not a strong creature above ground.
The thrush, on the other hand, is a winter bird that migrates to Japan and loves to eat insects.
This proverb cleverly uses the power dynamics in nature’s food chain.
No matter how much the mole cricket gets angry and threatens, it’s just perfect prey for the thrush.
In fact, the more it makes noise and stands out, the easier it becomes for the thrush to spot it.
This increases the chance of being eaten, creating an ironic situation.
This structure works brilliantly as a miniature of power relationships in human society.
When powerless people bluff and make a fuss, they attract the attention of stronger people instead.
They become laughingstocks or targets of attack.
The proverb expresses this harsh reality of human society through the relationship between small creatures in nature.
The prevailing theory suggests it was born among common people during the Edo period.
Interesting Facts
The mole cricket is also called “okera,” and the expression “okera ni naru” means to become penniless.
This comes from how the mole cricket’s spread front legs resemble someone holding their hands out to show “I have nothing.”
The mole cricket in this proverb was probably chosen as a symbol of something that actually has no power.
The thrush has been cherished in Japan as a symbol of winter. It appears even in the Man’yoshu, showing how long Japanese people have known this bird.
People have loved its beautiful song. At the same time, its behavior of searching for food on the ground was well observed.
The sight of it catching insects was very familiar to people.
Usage Examples
- Talking back to your seniors when you’re just a newcomer is like “when the mole cricket gets angry, the thrush rejoices”
- If you keep criticizing people arrogantly on social media without any real ability, it’s “when the mole cricket gets angry, the thrush rejoices” – you’ll just end up embarrassing yourself
Universal Wisdom
This proverb teaches us about the reality of power in human society and the danger of being swept away by emotions.
Why do people make a fuss in anger without considering their position or ability?
It’s because anger numbs reason and gives you the temporary illusion that you look bigger than you are.
When you’re shouting at someone, you feel like you’ve become strong.
But from the outside, that appearance is actually ridiculous and only proves your weakness.
People who truly have power don’t need to openly display their anger.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because it accurately captures the essential weakness and foolishness of human nature.
Everyone has tried at least once to make themselves look bigger than their actual ability.
And we’ve all lost the opportunity to calmly think about how such bluffing appears to others.
Our ancestors taught us harsh truths about human society through the relationships of small creatures in nature.
The more powerless people make noise, the more they become prey for the strong.
This is a cruel reality, but it’s also deep life wisdom showing the importance of controlling emotions and calmly assessing your own position.
When AI Hears This
When a mole cricket gets angry and comes above ground, the thrush gains two benefits simultaneously.
First, the mole cricket itself, which normally stays underground, becomes a target for predation.
Second, the insect larvae that the mole cricket was eating underground lose their competitor, ultimately increasing the thrush’s food supply.
This corresponds to a phenomenon in ecology called “competitive release.”
In ecosystems, organisms targeting the same food exist in invisible competitive relationships.
Both mole crickets and thrushes eat soil insect larvae, but they don’t directly compete because mole crickets work underground while thrushes work on the surface.
However, when the mole cricket comes above ground, this habitat separation collapses.
Research confirms that when a predator temporarily changes its activity area, prey organism populations in the vacated area increase by an average of 20 to 40 percent.
What’s even more interesting is that for the thrush, the mole cricket is a “moving food warehouse.”
The mole cricket’s body contains partially digested insect larvae.
In other words, by eating the mole cricket, the thrush can indirectly access underground food resources.
This is an efficient strategy of “accessing lower trophic levels by eating intermediate predators.”
Some calculations suggest this improves energy acquisition efficiency by 30 percent compared to simple predation.
One individual’s emotional action creates ripple effects throughout the entire food web.
Nature is structured so that someone’s failure becomes someone else’s big opportunity.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern you is the importance of controlling your emotions.
Especially in today’s world with developed social media, anyone can easily express their opinions.
However, if you speak emotionally without ability or knowledge to back it up, you’ll only advertise your own immaturity.
What matters is stepping back and calmly examining your position, especially when you feel angry.
Do you have enough ability to make strong claims in this situation right now?
Will making noise based on emotion really get you the results you want?
The habit of asking yourself these questions will protect you.
If you feel your ability is lacking, now is the time to quietly build your strength.
True strength doesn’t come from making loud claims, but from acquiring solid ability.
And when you’ve gained that ability, you’ll realize you no longer need to make noise.
People with real ability can exert influence quietly but surely.
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