How to Read “Trees grow straight by the ruler, people become wise by other people”
Ki wa ki ni yotte naoku hito wa hito ni yotte kashikoshi
Meaning of “Trees grow straight by the ruler, people become wise by other people”
This proverb means that just as wood can be straightened with proper tools, people become wise by learning from others. Wood may grow crooked in nature, but with the right tools it can be made straight. Similarly, people may have natural flaws or immaturity, but by following good role models and learning from others’ wisdom, they can grow into admirable individuals.
This proverb teaches the importance of having a humble attitude toward learning. It shows that there are limits to what one can achieve alone, and that people grow through relationships with others. It’s used when encouraging someone to actively learn from teachers, seniors, friends, and those around them.
It’s also quoted when discussing the importance of education. The proverb contains a hopeful message that people can change greatly through their environment and the people they meet.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is thought to be influenced by ancient Chinese philosophy, particularly Confucian teachings. The word “ki” (ruler) refers to a compass for drawing circles or a tool for correcting bends in materials.
In ancient China, there was a term “kiku” where “ki” meant compass and “ku” meant a square for measuring right angles. This came to mean “standards or models for things.”
Wood often grows crooked in nature and needs to be straightened for use as building material. Craftsmen used the ruler tool to correct bends and create straight lumber. This concrete woodworking technique was overlaid onto the abstract concept of human growth.
Humans are also immature when born, with various flaws and biases. But through interaction with others and by following excellent role models, they can grow wise. This is a skillful metaphor that overlaps the craftsman’s technique of processing wood with the educational work of nurturing people.
Chinese philosophy came to Japan long ago, and Confucianism was widely studied especially during the Edo period. This proverb likely became established in Japan within that flow of educational thought.
Interesting Facts
The “ki” (ruler) tool that appears in this proverb is not familiar to modern people, but it played an important role in woodworking and construction sites since ancient times. The technique of softening crooked wood with steam, fixing it along the ruler, and finishing it into straight lumber has been passed down as advanced craftsmanship.
What’s interesting is that this proverb expresses “by other people” rather than “by books” or “by teachings.” By specifically saying “people,” it emphasizes the importance of learning through direct human relationships.
Knowledge can be gained from books, but true wisdom is polished through interaction with people. This contains a deep insight.
Usage Examples
- I learn so much from watching my senior’s work, truly “Trees grow straight by the ruler, people become wise by other people”
- He grew through encounters with various people, which shows “Trees grow straight by the ruler, people become wise by other people”
Universal Wisdom
The universal truth this proverb speaks of is human plasticity and the transformative power of relationships with others. People are not born as completed beings. Rather, they come into this world as incomplete beings full of possibility.
And what makes that possibility bloom is encounters and learning with others.
Just as wood can be shaped by tools, people too can change. This hopeful view of humanity stands opposite to deterministic views of fate. Not everything is decided by birth or environment. Life changes greatly depending on who you learn from and what people you interact with.
Our ancestors believed in this possibility.
At the same time, this proverb teaches the necessity of human humility. Just as wood cannot straighten itself, people cannot become wise alone. Recognizing your own limits and having an attitude of learning honestly from others is the key to growth.
No one is perfect, which is why we learn from and support each other. That’s the essence of human society.
Thinking even deeper, this proverb also suggests the essence of education. Education is not one-way transmission of knowledge, but a process of transformation that occurs within human relationships. The experience of an encounter with an excellent teacher changing your life is universal across time.
When AI Hears This
In control engineering, systems are classified as “open-loop control” and “closed-loop control.” Open-loop is a system that operates without external correction. Closed-loop constantly compares target values with current values and continues correcting errors.
What this proverb shows is that both trees and humans are essentially “unstable control objects in open-loop.”
Consider automobile speed control, for example. Even if you keep the accelerator constant, speed fluctuates due to hills and wind. That’s why cruise control constantly detects and corrects errors using a speedometer sensor.
Trees grow crooked because their internal growth program alone cannot respond to external disturbances like gravity and sunlight. By applying the ruler as an external standard, errors from the target value of “straight” become detectable for the first time.
Human growth has the same structure. You cannot judge alone whether your actions are appropriate. Only with others as external sensors can you see the gap from social target values.
What’s interesting is that AI’s learning process follows this exact principle. AI cannot judge whether its output is correct without training data as an external standard. Growth without feedback inevitably leads to runaway or stagnation. This is a universal law of control systems that doesn’t change whether for living things or machines.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is that opportunities for growth are always close by. Rather than just looking at distant celebrities on social media, try having an attitude of learning from people right in front of you.
Seniors at work, friends at school, family members—each has different wisdom and experience.
What’s especially important is not searching for a perfect teacher, but having a flexible mind that tries to learn something from anyone. This person’s approach here is wonderful, that person’s way of thinking there is helpful. By absorbing good points from various people this way, your own individuality gets polished.
Also, this proverb suggests not just the “learner’s” responsibility but the “teacher’s” as well. You too can become a “ruler” for someone. Juniors and children are learning much from your words and actions.
This proverb quietly teaches the importance of living each day sincerely so you can be a good role model. People become wise by other people. You certainly exist within that chain too.
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