How to Read “船頭多くして船山に上る”
Sendou ooku shite fune yama ni noboru
Meaning of “船頭多くして船山に上る”
This proverb means that when there are too many people giving commands, things actually go wrong instead.
In an organization or project, when multiple people try to take leadership, each shows different directions, resulting in overall confusion. Work that should originally proceed under one person’s clear command becomes scattered due to many people’s opinions and instructions, ultimately leading to results completely different from the initial goals.
This proverb is used in situations such as when opinions don’t come together in meetings, when multiple people try to take control of a project, or when decision-makers are unclear within a family. By expressing that “we’re in a ‘Boatmen many and boat mountain to climbs’ situation,” one can appeal for the necessity of clarifying the chain of command.
Even today, this lesson is extremely important. While democratic discussion is valuable, the person who makes final decisions and takes responsibility must be clearly defined. Otherwise, even good ideas and excellent personnel cannot be utilized effectively.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of this proverb is thought to trace back to Chinese classics. It has been passed down in Japan since ancient times, with records found in Edo period literature as well.
A boatman refers to a person who operates a boat. In ancient boat travel, the boatman’s skills and judgment played a crucial role that could determine the life and death of passengers. Typically, one boat had one boatman who took the helm and decided the course.
But what if there were multiple boatmen on one boat? Each would begin asserting their own judgment, saying “this direction is right” or “no, that way is correct.” The boat would wander left and right, eventually climbing up to a mountain where it should never go. This is the comical and symbolic scene that this proverb depicts.
The expression “climbs to mountain” represents the boat reaching a completely wrong place – not a waterfront port which would be its proper destination. While this is physically impossible, it’s used as an expression that makes a powerful impression of how seriously the confusion of command systems can lead to consequences.
This proverb has been beloved by Japanese people for a long time as a lesson teaching the basic principles of organizational management.
Interesting Facts
The profession of “boatman” that appears in this proverb was highly specialized work during the Edo period. Skills were needed to read river currents, tidal changes, and weather variations, requiring years of training to become fully qualified. Therefore, boatmen held absolute authority on their boats.
The interesting aspect of the expression “climbs to mountain” lies in the physical impossibility of a boat – a water vehicle – reaching land, specifically the high place of a mountain. Through this extreme expression, it powerfully impresses upon us how confusion in the chain of command can lead to results beyond common sense.
Usage Examples
- Our department is in a “Boatmen many and boat mountain to climbs” state, and I don’t know whose instructions to follow
- PTA board meetings are always “Boatmen many and boat mountain to climbs,” so nothing ever gets decided
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of this proverb has become more complex. This is because while the importance of gathering diverse opinions and specialized knowledge has increased in our information society, the need for rapid decision-making has also grown.
Particularly now that remote work and online meetings have become widespread, “Boatmen many and boat mountain to climbs” situations are more likely to occur than before. Subtle nuances are harder to convey through screens, and it tends to become unclear who is taking leadership. Even in chat and email exchanges, when multiple people give instructions simultaneously, information becomes confused.
On the other hand, modern project management emphasizes “diversity” and “inclusion,” requiring the incorporation of opinions from people in various positions. This might seem to contradict the teaching of this proverb at first glance.
However, they can actually coexist. By clearly separating the stage of listening to many people’s opinions from the stage of making final decisions, democratic processes and efficient execution can be balanced. The reason roles like “facilitator” and “project manager” are emphasized in modern times is precisely for this reason.
Furthermore, with the development of AI technology, it has become possible to organize and analyze large amounts of opinions and information. This expands the possibility that even in situations with “many boatmen,” effective decision-making can be achieved with appropriate technology and processes.
When AI Hears This
While modern society treats “collective intelligence” as an absolute virtue, this proverb reveals a completely opposite truth. The reality is that collective intelligence requires extremely strict conditions to function properly.
Research from MIT shows that collective intelligence succeeds only when participants make independent judgments, possess diverse expertise, and operate within clear aggregation mechanisms. But when you have multiple captains, they’re all maritime experts who influence each other in real-time. This creates “amplification of similarity” rather than true diversity.
Even more crucial is that modern collective intelligence assumes problems with “correct answers.” For stock predictions or weather forecasting—scenarios with objective solutions—multiple opinions are indeed valuable. But navigating a ship isn’t about “choosing the optimal solution”; it’s about “moving in one direction.” Even if ten people propose ten perfectly valid routes, the ship can’t sail in ten directions simultaneously.
Ancient wisdom understood that decision-making requires a “convergence mechanism.” Today’s “let’s all think together” approach actually overlooks the most difficult part of decision-making—the process of selecting one option from multiple rational choices. Too many cooks spoil the broth precisely because they’re all competent cooks.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is that “leadership is not a power struggle, but taking responsibility.”
We often tend to become obsessed with getting our opinions through or seizing control. But what’s truly important is creating an environment where everyone can work together toward overall goals.
When you’re in a leadership position, please have the courage to make final decisions while listening to others’ opinions. And when you’re in a member’s position, cooperate with what has been decided and try to make constructive suggestions.
In modern society, each individual has expertise and valuable opinions. That’s precisely why it’s important to utilize those opinions while also showing clear direction. To avoid “Boatmen many and boat mountain to climbs,” it’s essential to separate time for discussion from time for decision-making, and to clarify role divisions.
This proverb teaches us how to balance cooperation and decisiveness – wisdom that’s needed especially in modern times.
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