How to Read “Covering one’s face in the darkness”
Kurayami no hōkaburi
Meaning of “Covering one’s face in the darkness”
“Covering one’s face in the darkness” warns against pointless attempts to hide something. Since no one can see you in the dark anyway, covering your face is meaningless.
This proverb applies to people who try to hide things that don’t need hiding. It also fits those who think they can keep hiding something that’s already been discovered.
When you look at the situation calmly, there’s no point in hiding. But the desire to conceal something takes over. This leads to unnatural behavior that actually makes things worse.
The proverb points out how silly and pointless such actions are.
We see this situation in modern life too. Someone desperately tries to hide a small mistake that nobody cares about.
Or they attempt to conceal a fact that everyone already knows. Hiding something can actually draw more attention to it. It can deepen people’s suspicions.
This proverb teaches that it’s wiser to admit things honestly. That’s better than wasting effort on pointless concealment.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, we can make interesting observations from the words themselves.
“Hōkaburi” means covering your head and cheeks with a towel or cloth. During the Edo period, people commonly did this to stay warm or hide their faces.
It was especially used when someone wanted to conceal their identity.
The proverb’s humor comes from its contradictory situation. You’re in complete darkness where no one can see anyone’s face anyway. Yet you still cover your face with cloth.
This absurd image perfectly captures the pointlessness of meaningless concealment.
The expression likely came from the everyday life of common people in the Edo period. Back then, nights were truly pitch black.
Only moonlight and lanterns provided illumination. In such darkness, trying to hide your face was obviously pointless to everyone.
This expression captures a subtle aspect of human psychology. When the desire to hide something becomes too strong, you lose the ability to judge the situation properly.
The proverb warns against this human foolishness and pitifulness with humor. It has been passed down through generations as folk wisdom.
Usage Examples
- Everyone already knows, so making more excuses is like covering one’s face in the darkness
- Continuing to deny it when all the evidence is there is covering one’s face in the darkness
Universal Wisdom
“Covering one’s face in the darkness” has survived because it reflects a fundamental human psychology. Sometimes the impulse to hide something overpowers our reason.
Everyone has aspects of themselves they don’t want seen. Everyone has facts they don’t want known. When the desire to hide becomes too strong, calm judgment becomes impossible.
You believe you can still hide something even when there’s no point. You become blind to your surroundings. This is a timeless human trait.
The proverb reveals the essential contradiction of concealment. The more you try to hide something, the more your actions stand out.
Covering your face in pitch darkness perfectly symbolizes this contradiction.
Our ancestors may have seen both human foolishness and endearing qualities through this absurd image. The desire to be perfect, to avoid shame, to deny reality.
Rather than harshly condemning these very human weaknesses, they gently admonished with humor. This shows a warm perspective toward people who make mistakes and errors.
This proverb has endured because it contains deep human understanding. The desire to hide versus the reality that you cannot.
It brilliantly captures the human figure wavering between these two forces.
When AI Hears This
The situation where covering your face in darkness makes you unrecognizable is exactly what information theory calls an “unobservable system.” What’s interesting is how different objects become equivalent when information is blocked.
They become “indistinguishable” in a meaningful way.
Consider computer encryption technology, for example. Blockchain intentionally hides participants’ identity information. This makes everyone the same “anonymous participant.”
This follows the same principle as covering one’s face in the darkness. Making information invisible means the rich and poor, celebrities and ordinary people, all become indistinguishable in the system.
In other words, lack of information creates equality.
Even more interesting is how this “equal because unobservable” state connects to quantum mechanics’ uncertainty principle. Unobserved quantum particles exist in multiple overlapping states.
Similarly, covering one’s face in the darkness creates a superposition state where you “could be anyone” from the observer’s perspective.
Modern society increasingly uses systems that reverse this principle. Anonymous voting, blind review, double-blind testing all intentionally block information to ensure fairness.
The darkness and its lack of information actually form the foundation of sophisticated social systems.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people that having the courage to admit things matters more than hiding them.
In today’s digital age, information is more transparent than ever before. Social media records even trivial words and actions. A simple search can uncover past information easily.
Trying to hide things in such times is truly covering one’s face in the darkness. Attempts at concealment often make problems bigger and destroy trust.
What truly matters is having the strength to honestly admit your weaknesses and failures. You don’t need to be perfect. You can make mistakes.
Don’t hide these things. Admit them and move forward. This attitude is the shortest path to earning trust from others.
This proverb helps you regain your composure. Does what you’re trying to hide really need hiding? Maybe nobody even cares about it.
Maybe everyone already knows. Asking yourself these questions saves you from wasting energy.
Focus your energy on improvement rather than concealment. That’s the positive life hint this proverb offers to modern people.
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