How to Read “Ask, and it will be given to you”
Motomeyo, saraba ataerareru-n
Meaning of “Ask, and it will be given to you”
This proverb means that if you actively seek something, you will surely receive it. If you want to obtain something, don’t just wait around. Take action yourself and show that you’re seeking it.
People use this saying to encourage someone who hesitates to pursue their goals. It also teaches the importance of taking that first step from a passive stance.
When someone has dreams or hopes but doesn’t act on them, “Ask, and it will be given to you” urges them to move forward with courage.
Today, people understand it as expressing an active approach to life. Opportunities are things you must grab yourself. Just wishing for something changes nothing. The path opens only when you start moving. This proverb symbolizes this action-oriented way of thinking.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is widely believed to come from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 7, in the New Testament. The original text appears as a teaching about prayer and faith in God: “Ask and it will be given to you.”
After the Meiji era, as the Bible was translated into Japanese, this phrase spread throughout Japanese society. People accepted it not just as Christian teaching, but as a universal maxim offering life guidance.
The classical Japanese expression “Motomeyo, saraba ataerareru-n” sounded dignified and elegant. This helped it become established as a proverb in Japanese culture.
What’s interesting is how this phrase transcended its religious context and blended into Japanese spiritual culture. Originally, it taught an attitude of prayer toward God.
But in Japan, people came to understand it more broadly as a life philosophy: “If you act proactively, a path will open.” It resonated with traditional Japanese values emphasizing the importance of effort and action.
This alignment with existing values helped many people accept it beyond religious boundaries.
Usage Examples
- If you’re unsure about job hunting, embrace the spirit of “Ask, and it will be given to you” and contact companies that interest you
- Just thinking about wanting new skills won’t change anything—take action as the saying goes, “Ask, and it will be given to you”
Universal Wisdom
Humans are fundamentally creatures who find comfort in being passive. We fear failure, avoid rejection, and choose to maintain the status quo. Yet at the same time, humans have a desire to grow and accomplish something.
We constantly swing between these two opposing tendencies.
“Ask, and it will be given to you” has been passed down through generations because it sees through this human nature. Most people expect opportunities to come to them.
They hope someone will discover them, that situations will naturally improve, that such good fortune will arrive. But in reality, what you can gain just by waiting is limited.
This proverb teaches an important truth about life. The world responds to those who actively engage with it. Doors open for those who knock. Answers return to those who ask questions.
This is a basic principle of human society that doesn’t change with time.
Our ancestors learned through experience that good fortune and success actually come to those who have the courage to seek them. That wisdom is condensed into these few words.
When AI Hears This
In quantum mechanics, particles like electrons aren’t “here” until they’re observed. They exist as a cloud of probability, potentially in multiple places at once.
But the moment a human observes them with measuring equipment, that cloud collapses to a single point and becomes definite: “It’s here.” In other words, the act of observation creates reality.
This proverb has the same structure. “Asking” is the act of directing your consciousness toward something specific among countless possibilities.
For example, when you seek “a good job,” job postings you previously overlooked suddenly catch your eye. The information was always there, but it was in an “unobserved state” until you sought it.
The moment you ask, your brain activates a filter that prioritizes picking up related information.
What’s even more interesting is that the observer effect has another aspect: “measurement affects the target.” When you strongly seek something, that consciousness changes your behavior and alters how people around you respond.
Just as observation changes a particle’s state in the quantum world, in human society the “consciousness of seeking” triggers interaction with reality. This ultimately creates the state of “being given.”
Lessons for Today
Modern society overflows with information and opportunities. But it’s also an era where too many choices can paralyze us. This proverb teaches the importance of starting to seek right now, rather than waiting for the perfect timing.
What do you truly want? Maybe it’s new knowledge. Maybe it’s connections with people. Or perhaps it’s an opportunity to test your potential.
Whatever it is, if you only wish for it in your heart, it will remain forever just a wish.
What matters is taking that first step even when you’re unprepared, rather than waiting until you’re perfectly ready. Send one email. Pick up one book. Talk to someone about it.
Small acts of seeking can sometimes create developments you never imagined.
Life has a mysterious quality of responding to you as much as you seek from it. Don’t fear failure. Don’t fear rejection. Just try asking first.
That courage will expand your world little by little, but surely.
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