How to Read “A petty person always makes excuses for their mistakes”
Shōjin no ayamatsuya kanarazu kazaru
Meaning of “A petty person always makes excuses for their mistakes”
This proverb describes a human tendency. When someone who lacks maturity makes a mistake, they always try to cover it up with excuses.
They cannot admit their faults honestly. Instead, they come up with various reasons to justify themselves or shift blame to others.
People use this saying when they see someone making excuses after an obvious failure. It also applies when you notice yourself wanting to avoid admitting a mistake.
This expression is more powerful than simply saying “they’re making excuses.” It suggests that excuse-making reveals a lack of character development.
We still see this behavior everywhere today. It happens at work, at school, and at home.
Admitting mistakes takes courage. But covering them up with excuses doesn’t solve the real problem. It only damages trust.
This proverb teaches us this important lesson.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb comes from the ancient Chinese text called the Analects. It appears in the chapter called “Zizhang.”
The original text reads “小人之過也必文.” This passage is known as an important teaching from Confucius.
The word “shōjin” (小人) has a special meaning here. In modern Japanese, when read as “kobito,” it can mean a small person physically.
But in Confucian philosophy, it’s read as “shōjin.” It refers to someone with low virtue or immature character.
This word is the opposite of “kunshi” (gentleman or noble person). It doesn’t mean someone of low social status. It describes someone’s spiritual and character development.
The word “kazaru” (文る) is also interesting. It means “to decorate” or “to cover up.”
It refers to making the surface look beautiful. In this context, it means using clever words to hide the true nature of a mistake.
Confucius was a master observer of human nature. Through years of experience, he noticed a pattern.
People with immature character cannot admit their mistakes. They tend to make excuses and justifications instead.
On the other hand, he taught that a noble person admits mistakes honestly and corrects them. This contrast shows us what true maturity looks like.
Interesting Facts
In the Analects, this saying comes with an interesting comparison. Before this line, it says that a noble person’s mistakes are like solar or lunar eclipses.
When they make mistakes, everyone sees them. But when they correct them, everyone looks up to them again.
This means noble people don’t hide their mistakes. They admit them openly and fix them. This actually earns them more respect.
The verb “kazaru” (文る) is rarely used in modern Japanese. But we can still find it in the word “bunshoku” (文飾).
This term means decorating words or sentences beautifully. It sometimes carries a slightly negative meaning.
It suggests using fancy language to hide weak content.
Usage Examples
- When someone points out his mistakes, he acts like “a petty person always makes excuses for their mistakes.” He always blames the environment or other people and never takes responsibility.
- They say “a petty person always makes excuses for their mistakes.” I want to have the courage to apologize honestly before making excuses.
Universal Wisdom
This proverb reveals something deep about human self-defense instincts. Admitting mistakes feels like our value and abilities are being denied.
It causes real psychological pain. That’s why people unconsciously create excuses as a shield to escape that pain.
What’s interesting is how this proverb uses the contrast between “petty person” and “noble person.” This shows a profound insight.
Making excuses or not isn’t just about behavior. It reflects the maturity of one’s character itself.
A mature person knows something important. Admitting mistakes doesn’t damage their worth. Instead, honesty deepens trust.
This wisdom has been passed down for thousands of years. That’s because humans haven’t fundamentally changed.
In ancient China and modern Japan alike, people fear admitting mistakes. They try to protect themselves.
But at the same time, we all share another feeling across time. We cannot trust people who only make excuses.
This proverb sees human weakness clearly. Yet it also contains the warm gaze of our ancestors. They wanted to encourage us toward higher character growth.
When AI Hears This
In digital communication, noise sometimes corrupts the original signal. With proper error correction codes, we can restore the original information.
But if we add incorrect correction information, we can’t figure out what the original signal was. This makes things worse.
Information theory has a concept called entropy. It measures disorder. Adding wrong information increases this value.
This makes recovering the truth exponentially harder.
Human excuse-making has exactly the same structure. The initial mistake is like “noise.” Making excuses adds “incorrect correction information” to it.
This makes it harder for others to figure out the original facts. For example, being late is a simple fact.
But then you add information about train delays, health problems, and family matters. These pieces of information contradict each other.
The reliability of the whole system drops sharply. Information theory measures communication quality with signal-to-noise ratio.
The more excuses you pile on, the worse this ratio becomes. The truth (the original signal) gets buried in noise.
What’s fascinating is this: honestly admitting an error has minimal information content and low entropy. Simple information has higher transmission accuracy and easier recovery.
This proverb put into words an optimal strategy for information transmission in human relationships. And it did so over a thousand years ago.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people a harsh reality. The habit of making excuses stops your own growth.
While you’re making excuses, you cannot look at the real cause of the problem. You end up repeating the same mistakes.
In modern society, there’s strong pressure to look good on social media and elsewhere. This might make admitting failures even harder.
But that’s exactly why “the courage to admit honestly” has become more valuable. At work and in relationships, being sincere builds deeper trust than pretending to be perfect.
The important thing is not to use this proverb as a tool to criticize others. Use it as a mirror to reflect on yourself.
When you feel like making an excuse, remember these words. Ask yourself: “What am I trying to run away from right now?”
That moment of courage will help you grow into a bigger person.
Comments