How to Read “A procession of jellyfish”
Kurage no gyōretsu
Meaning of “A procession of jellyfish”
“A procession of jellyfish” is a proverb that describes groups drifting aimlessly without purpose. It also criticizes the foolishness of following others without thinking for yourself.
Just as jellyfish float wherever ocean currents take them, this saying describes people who don’t think for themselves. They simply move in the same direction as everyone around them.
This proverb points out situations where everyone in a group acts the same way without questioning it. It criticizes moments when everyone, including leaders, loses their independence.
In modern society, we see this when people join online pile-ons without thinking. We also see it when people chase trends without developing their own values.
The proverb doesn’t criticize group behavior itself. Instead, it targets the “lack of purpose” and “absence of independent thinking.”
What looks like an orderly procession might actually be dangerous. Nobody knows where they’re going. Everyone is just drifting along. This proverb warns us about that risk.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, it likely came from observing the characteristics of jellyfish themselves.
Jellyfish are known for drifting through the ocean. Their most notable feature is that they have almost no ability to control their direction.
They have no brain. They simply surrender to tides and waves. Sometimes many jellyfish drift in the same direction on ocean currents.
But this isn’t because they decided to form a line. They have no will of their own.
This behavior became a metaphor for people who act without independence. The saying likely became popular during the Edo period.
It was used to mock people who were easily influenced by others in everyday life.
The choice of the word “procession” is particularly interesting. A procession normally means people lining up in an orderly way with a purpose.
But applying this word to jellyfish creates an ironic contrast. It looks organized on the outside, but nobody actually has a purpose.
The structure of the phrase itself cleverly expresses a state where the form looks proper but lacks substance.
Interesting Facts
Jellyfish have existed on Earth for about 600 million years. They’ve survived all this time without brains or hearts.
More than 95 percent of their bodies are water. They can move slightly by contracting muscles to push out water. But basically, they depend entirely on ocean currents.
This complete passivity has actually helped them adapt to environmental changes. It’s one reason they’ve survived for so long.
Interestingly, jellyfish are also written with characters meaning “sea moon” in Japanese. This name supposedly comes from how they look like moons floating in the sea.
The contrast between their beautiful appearance and their lack of substance adds to the ironic flavor of this proverb.
Usage Examples
- Starting to invest just because everyone else is, without understanding why, is exactly like a procession of jellyfish.
- The meeting was a procession of jellyfish—nobody voiced opinions, everyone just watched the boss’s face.
Universal Wisdom
“A procession of jellyfish” reveals a fundamental human weakness. We are social creatures who find comfort in belonging to groups.
But that comfort can sometimes lead us to stop thinking.
Why do people lose their independence? It’s because we want to escape the weight of making our own judgments.
Making decisions means taking responsibility. If we fail, it’s our fault. But if we do what everyone else does, we have an excuse.
Even if we’re heading in the wrong direction, we can say “I’m not the only one.”
This proverb has been passed down through generations because this human trait never changes. In ancient village societies and modern cities alike, people are expected to “read the air.”
Sometimes we suppress our own opinions. In cultures that value group harmony, we all risk becoming jellyfish.
Our ancestors understood this danger. Even an orderly-looking procession is just drifting if nobody knows the destination.
This proverb confronts us with an eternal challenge. Even within a group, we must not lose our ability to think as individuals.
When AI Hears This
When you look at jellyfish processions through fluid dynamics, surprising facts emerge. Jellyfish have almost no brains and no leaders.
Yet somehow they move together in the same direction. This happens because each individual only reacts to two things.
They respond to “water currents within about one meter” and “distance to neighboring jellyfish.” Without seeing the big picture, they create large-scale order from local information alone.
Mathematical models reveal something interesting about this phenomenon. In traffic science research, drivers only watch the distance to the car ahead.
Yet traffic waves appear even when nobody hits the brakes suddenly. Jellyfish processions work the same way.
Each individual just swims to slightly reduce water resistance. The result is an efficient formation for the whole group.
What’s more fascinating is that this mechanism exists everywhere in modern society. When topics suddenly go viral on social media, each user only sees their own narrow timeline.
Their individual reactions create a massive trend overall. Experiments confirm that “follow the person ahead” is actually the most efficient rule for group evacuation.
Jellyfish teach us something important. Even without complex command systems, simple rules can create surprisingly intelligent group behavior.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches you about “the courage to stop and think.”
In our information-flooded modern world, it’s easier than ever to drift with the crowd. The temptation is always around you.
You feel rushed not to miss trends. You act just because everyone else is doing it.
But sometimes you need to go against the current and ask “Why?” Do I really need this product?
Is this opinion actually correct? Is the direction everyone’s heading really where I want to go?
Asking these questions is the first step out of a procession of jellyfish.
The point isn’t to reject all group behavior. Sometimes cooperation is necessary. Sometimes going with the flow makes sense.
But it should be your choice after thinking it through. Cooperation you’ve chosen with independence is completely different from mindless following.
Don’t leave the steering wheel of your life entirely to the currents.
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