How to Read “Eat seven plates and still smell like shark”
Nanasara kuute samekusai
Meaning of “Eat seven plates and still smell like shark”
This proverb criticizes selfish behavior. It describes someone who eats a lot and then complains about the food afterward.
The person eats seven full plates. Only after finishing everything do they complain that it “smells like shark.” The proverb points out this contradictory behavior.
You use this saying when someone receives benefits or advantages. Then later, they start complaining or expressing dissatisfaction.
They say nothing while eating. Once their stomach is full, they criticize the taste. The proverb condemns this convenient attitude.
The expression highlights the contradiction between actions and words. If someone truly disliked the food, they would notice at the first or second plate and stop.
Eating seven plates means they were satisfied enough to continue. Complaining afterward makes no sense.
Today, this applies to people who complain after receiving services. It also fits those who criticize after enjoying benefits. The core message remains relevant.
Origin and Etymology
The exact origin of this proverb isn’t clearly documented in historical texts. However, the structure of the phrase reveals interesting background.
The expression “seven plates” shows someone ate a large amount. They consumed more than enough food.
In Japan, the number seven has long symbolized abundance. You see it in sayings like “fall down seven times, stand up eight” and in the Seven Gods of Fortune. Seven carries special meaning.
The phrase “smell like shark” is crucial. Shark has a distinctive odor among ocean fish. Fresh shark tastes good, but over time it develops a strong ammonia smell.
This smell divides people. Some don’t mind it, while others find it unpleasant.
The proverb likely originated in coastal fishing villages. It came from communities with deep fish-eating traditions. The saying probably emerged from actual dining situations.
Someone eats seven plates of food. Then at the end, they complain it “smells like shark.” The proverb captures this contradictory attitude through a concrete dining scene.
It expresses the selfishness of people who enjoy benefits fully, then complain afterward. This wisdom came from common people who observed everyday life.
Interesting Facts
Shark has deep roots in Japanese food culture. In mountainous regions where ocean fish rarely reached, people valued shark as preserved food.
They dried it or preserved it in salt. Shark meat contains urea, which converts to ammonia over time. This creates the distinctive smell.
However, this very smell helped preserve the meat longer. What seemed like a flaw was actually an advantage.
The number seven holds special significance in Japanese culture. It represents “many” or “plenty.”
A week has seven days. There’s seven-herb rice porridge and the Tanabata festival. Seven has long symbolized completeness and sufficiency.
In this proverb, seven doesn’t just mean many. It emphasizes eating more than enough, to the point of excess.
Usage Examples
- He used all the company benefits for years. Then when quitting, he complained about poor treatment. That’s exactly “eat seven plates and still smell like shark.”
- She got free advice many times. Then she complained that person was cold. That’s what we call “eat seven plates and still smell like shark.”
Universal Wisdom
This proverb reveals a universal human weakness: complaining after the fact. Why do people stay silent while receiving benefits, then complain after enjoying everything?
Complex psychology lies behind this behavior. First, there’s the desire not to lose immediate benefits.
Even with complaints, people stay quiet because speaking up might cost them. So they keep accepting silently. Only after gaining enough, when there’s nothing left to lose, do they voice criticism.
Humans also want to justify their choices. They don’t want to admit they kept eating seven plates by their own decision.
So they shift responsibility outward. They create reasons like “the food was bad, so I had no choice.” They try to rewrite the fact that they ate with satisfaction.
Looking deeper, this shows a lack of gratitude. People take what they receive for granted while receiving it. They only notice its value after losing it.
Or even after losing it, they don’t notice. They only voice complaints. Human arrogance condenses here.
This proverb has survived because human nature hasn’t changed across time. Our ancestors saw through this contradictory attitude. They recognized a human flaw worth warning against.
When AI Hears This
Two cognitive biases work simultaneously in people who keep eating until the seventh plate. The first is attachment to effort already invested.
This is the sunk cost fallacy. Rationally, they should stop at the first plate when noticing it’s shark. But the feeling that “it would be wasteful after eating this much” distorts judgment.
It’s the exact same psychology as gamblers who keep playing after losses, thinking “I’ve spent this much, so I need to win it back.”
The specific number seven reveals something fascinating about diminishing marginal utility. The first plate brings joy from satisfying hunger. But satisfaction decreases with the second and third plates.
Behavioral economics research shows people feel losses about 2.5 times more intensely than gains. By the seventh plate, the feeling of “wasting” should far outweigh any satisfaction from eating.
The proverb’s brilliance lies in using seven to express human limits of endurance. Experimental psychology shows people typically change behavior only after five to seven failures.
This means people in the Edo period understood through experience exactly how many attempts it takes humans to escape irrational behavior.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of “awareness while receiving.” We receive many things daily: work opportunities, kindness from others, services, time.
Do you notice their value while receiving them? Or do you let them pass as something ordinary?
The proverb teaches honesty with your feelings in the present moment, before complaining later. If you truly have complaints, you should notice at the first plate.
And if you ate seven plates, that proves you were satisfied. Have the integrity to acknowledge that fact.
Modern society makes criticizing afterward easy through social media and other platforms. But what truly matters is different.
Evaluate properly while receiving. Express gratitude where it’s due. Communicate dissatisfaction at appropriate times. This is integrity.
Notice the value of what you’re receiving right now. Don’t look back later saying “those were good times.”
Be grateful in this present moment. That’s how you live without being someone who says “eat seven plates and still smell like shark.”
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