How to Read “In a great flood, there is no drinking water”
Ōmizu ni nomimizu nashi
Meaning of “In a great flood, there is no drinking water”
“In a great flood, there is no drinking water” means that even when something exists in abundance, you may not be able to get what you truly need.
This proverb describes situations where there’s more than enough quantity, but the quality you’re looking for is nowhere to be found.
For example, in today’s information-flooded society, you might struggle to find truly useful information. Or you might face countless choices but can’t find one that fits you.
The proverb also points to situations where you have material wealth but lack inner satisfaction.
You might have plenty of money but feel no happiness. You might have many friends but no one you truly trust.
People use this proverb because it perfectly captures a contradictory situation: scarcity within abundance.
It’s an effective expression when teaching the importance of quality over quantity, often with irony or a lesson attached.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, the structure of the phrase offers interesting insights.
“Great flood” refers to a state where water is abundant, like when rivers overflow. At first glance, it seems impossible to lack water.
But in reality, you can’t drink it. The rushing floodwater contains mud and dirt, making it unfit for human consumption.
Japan’s natural environment likely shaped this proverb’s birth. Japan has long suffered from water-related disasters.
During the rainy season and typhoon periods, rivers would overflow and flood entire areas. This wasn’t uncommon.
In such situations, people faced an ironic reality. Water was everywhere, yet there was no drinkable water.
Wells became muddy. River water was unusable. It was truly a “water, water, everywhere” situation.
From this experience came the lesson that quantity and quality are separate things.
Abundance and usefulness don’t always match. This proverb brilliantly expresses this life truth and has been passed down through generations.
Usage Examples
- Information floods the internet, but it’s like “in a great flood, there is no drinking water”—I can’t find truly helpful articles
- Job sites list thousands of openings, but it’s truly “in a great flood, there is no drinking water”—I can’t find any that suit me
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “In a great flood, there is no drinking water” brilliantly captures a fundamental dilemma humans face. That truth is: abundance and satisfaction don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
Humans have a curious nature. When choices are few, we wish for more. But when abundance arrives, we suddenly can’t see what we truly need.
This isn’t just a luxury problem. It reveals a limit in human cognitive ability: abundance in quantity actually makes quality judgment harder.
Our ancestors learned this contradiction from the familiar experience of flooding. Life-giving water overflowed before their eyes, yet they couldn’t use it.
This desperate situation taught them the importance of seeing the essence of things.
Thinking deeper, this proverb touches on the nature of human desire itself. We seek quantity to feel secure, but true satisfaction comes only from quality.
Yet as quantity increases, our ability to judge quality gets tested. This is a universal challenge that all people living in abundant times must face.
When AI Hears This
Information theory uses a value called the signal-to-noise ratio to express the relationship between useful signals and meaningless noise.
Interestingly, when this ratio drops below a certain threshold, you can’t extract meaningful data no matter how much information you have.
In other words, when there’s too much noise, the truly necessary signal gets completely buried.
“In a great flood, there is no drinking water” describes exactly this phenomenon. Water molecules as “information” surround you in countless numbers.
Yet you can’t extract the specific signal of “drinkable water” that humans need.
In information theory terms, noise like salt and mud completely masks the signal. The signal-to-noise ratio has dropped extremely low.
The modern internet has the same structure. A search returns millions of hits, yet you can’t find truly reliable information.
Information volume has exploded, but reaching the truth has actually become harder.
Communication engineering uses noise-removal filters to improve signal-to-noise ratios. The human brain needs similar filtering functions.
People in the Edo period knew nothing about information theory equations. Yet they intuitively understood the essential truth that quantity and quality are different things.
This proverb offers old yet new wisdom, teaching us the importance of filtering ability in our information-overloaded age.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern you is the importance of freeing yourself from the assumption that “more is better.”
We tend to chase quantity in everything: information, choices, relationships, and material wealth.
But what truly fills your heart isn’t quantity—it’s quality.
Having a thousand followers on social media matters less than having a few friends you truly trust. That makes life richer.
What matters is developing the eye to identify what you truly need without being confused by abundance.
To do this, you must first clarify what you’re seeking.
When your purpose is clear, you can find drinking water even in a great flood.
Sometimes you also need the courage to reduce. Narrow down your choices. Limit information. Focus on what truly matters.
By doing so, your life becomes clearer and your satisfaction grows.
To avoid getting lost in abundance, keep the wisdom of this proverb in your heart.
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