How to Read “Abandoning a general who protects the nation for two eggs”
Niran wo motte kanjō no shō wo sutsu
Meaning of “Abandoning a general who protects the nation for two eggs”
This proverb warns against the foolishness of losing talented people over minor mistakes. It compares obsessing over a trivial failure worth two eggs to throwing away a valuable general who protects the nation.
The saying is mainly used in contexts involving personnel management and talent evaluation. It criticizes situations where excellent employees are driven to quit over small mistakes.
It also applies when people focus too much on minor flaws and overlook great talent.
This proverb teaches us that we need a holistic view when evaluating people. No one is perfect. If we get too caught up in small flaws or failures, we lose sight of a person’s true value and abilities.
Leaders and managers especially need this perspective. Rather than reacting emotionally to small problems, they must calmly assess a person’s greater potential and contributions.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to originate from ancient Chinese classics. “Kanjō no shō” means an important general who is like a shield or fortress protecting the nation.
This expression appears in texts like the ancient Chinese Book of Songs. “Niran” simply means two eggs.
The saying likely emerged from the strict bureaucratic system of ancient China. Even capable generals and officials could face severe punishment for minor errors.
For example, there were probably cases where excellent generals were dismissed for small rule violations in the name of military discipline.
The cleverness of this proverb lies in using the specific number “two eggs.” Two eggs is something trivial that anyone can imagine.
By contrasting this with “a general who protects the nation” – someone who affects the fate of the entire country – the foolishness of such judgment stands out sharply.
The saying came to Japan along with Chinese classics. It was mainly used among educated people.
It has been passed down as a warning to rulers about the difficulty of appointing talent and the danger of losing sight of the big picture over small matters.
Usage Examples
- Demoting that excellent department head over a trivial expense error is like abandoning a general who protects the nation for two eggs
- Firing him for being late once could be abandoning a general who protects the nation for two eggs
Universal Wisdom
Humans have a strange quality. Small flaws right in front of us can hide great value in the distance.
This proverb has been passed down for hundreds of years because this human weakness never changes across time.
Why do we obsess over trivial things? It’s because small failures and flaws are concrete and easy to see. The fact that two eggs broke is clear.
On the other hand, a person’s great abilities and potential are abstract and hard to quantify.
The human brain is wired to react strongly to concrete problems right in front of us.
There’s also the problem of emotions. When we see someone’s mistake, we feel anger or disappointment.
That emotion clouds our calm judgment and makes us jump to extreme conclusions like “this person can’t be trusted.”
Temporary emotions make us blind to long-term benefits.
This proverb teaches us about the limits of human cognition and the danger of emotions. An excellent leader is someone who can see the whole picture without being captivated by small problems.
Our ancestors knew this difficulty. That’s why they continue to warn us using the extreme contrast between eggs and a general.
When AI Hears This
The human brain processes gains and losses asymmetrically. Behavioral economics experiments have numerically proven that the pain of losing 100 yen feels about 2.5 times stronger than the joy of gaining 100 yen.
This is the core of prospect theory. The “two eggs” in this proverb represent a small immediate loss, while “the general who protects the nation” represents a large future opportunity.
What’s interesting is that the certainty of loss, not its size, distorts judgment. Losing two eggs is a 100% certain loss.
On the other hand, even if you appoint an excellent general, there’s no guarantee the nation will be protected.
The human brain has a structural flaw where it overvalues “certain small losses” when weighed against “uncertain large gains.” For example, the reality of losing 1,000 yen from your wallet stimulates the brain more strongly than the possibility of winning 100 million yen in a lottery.
Even more noteworthy is the reference point problem. Humans use the current situation as a baseline and judge changes from there as gains or losses.
Two eggs are something already in hand, part of the status quo. Giving them up is perceived as a minus from the current state, triggering an intense rejection response in the brain.
In contrast, the general’s value is a future hypothesis not included in the current reference point.
This cognitive bug is frequently observed today. The phenomenon where companies hesitate to invest in talented people while obsessing over trivial cost reductions is evidence of the brain’s loss aversion bias activating at the organizational level.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the courage to change their perspective on evaluation. When you’re in a position to evaluate someone, are you looking only at one failure?
No one is perfect. What matters is not neglecting the effort to see the whole person.
At work and at home, we evaluate people every day. A subordinate’s work performance, a child’s behavior, a partner’s words and actions.
At those times, are you making judgments based only on one recent event? Looking at the long term, how much value has that person created?
If you yourself are excessively blamed for a small mistake, remember this proverb. One failure is not all of who you are.
And when your turn comes to evaluate someone, think the same way about them.
Modern society rushes results too much. Short-term achievements are overemphasized, and people’s true value is often overlooked.
But what’s truly important lies much deeper.
Don’t let your heart be captured by small problems in front of you. Believe in a person’s potential. That’s the first step to bringing out the best in people, strengthening organizations, and enriching society.
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