How to Read “Dislike is the Chinese name for not gaining”
Sukanu wa esenu no karana
Meaning of “Dislike is the Chinese name for not gaining”
This proverb expresses a simple truth: you can never master something you dislike, but you naturally excel at what you love.
No matter how much others encourage you, if you have no genuine interest in something, your efforts won’t bear fruit.
On the other hand, you naturally become absorbed in things you enjoy. You can tackle challenges with pleasure, and your skills steadily improve.
This saying is mainly used when discussing learning and skill development. It comes up when choosing activities for children, considering career paths, or when someone tries to force something on another person.
The meaning is similar to another Japanese saying that means “liking is the best teacher.” However, this proverb uses negative phrasing—”what you dislike cannot be gained”—to emphasize more strongly how pointless forcing things is.
Even today, this lesson carries persuasive power when explaining the importance of valuing your own aptitudes and interests.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, we can make interesting observations from how the phrase is constructed.
“Karana” (Chinese name) refers to Chinese-style terms or difficult expressions using Chinese characters.
During the Edo period in Japan, Chinese classical studies formed the core of education. Chinese classics and Chinese vocabulary were essential knowledge for intellectuals.
However, learning difficult classical Chinese required tremendous effort. People realized that studying it reluctantly wouldn’t help them master it.
What makes this expression interesting is how it wraps the Japanese lesson “sukanu wa esenu” (what you dislike, you cannot gain) in the term “Chinese name.”
In other words, people expressed with irony the reality that even difficult Chinese learning couldn’t be mastered if you disliked it.
People of that era knew firsthand the struggle of studying Chinese classics. No matter how prestigious the subject, you couldn’t improve without interest.
They tried to convey this obvious but harsh truth in a humorous and memorable way by using the term “Chinese name.”
This proverb contains wisdom actually experienced in the world of learning.
Usage Examples
- If my son dislikes piano, there’s no point forcing him. Dislike is the Chinese name for not gaining, so let’s find something he’s interested in.
- I can’t absorb anything studying for this certification exam. Dislike is the Chinese name for not gaining—maybe I’m not suited for this field.
Universal Wisdom
The universal truth in “Dislike is the Chinese name for not gaining” is that emotions deeply affect human learning and growth.
We are rational beings, but we’re also greatly influenced by our feelings.
No matter how logically we understand “I should learn this,” if our heart rejects it, that knowledge or skill will never become truly ours.
This insight has been passed down through generations because many people have confirmed its truth through experience.
Parents recommend various things to children with good intentions, but nothing comes of it if the child’s heart doesn’t respond.
Teachers instruct enthusiastically, but knowledge doesn’t stick if students aren’t interested. Bosses try to develop employees, but growth is impossible without motivation.
The human brain shows remarkable concentration and memory for things we like. We lose track of time in absorption, don’t give up despite failures, and devise our own improvements.
This is the energy of passion—an emotion that willpower alone cannot create.
Our ancestors understood this essential human nature. They captured in this proverb both the futility of forcing things and the greatness of interest’s power.
When AI Hears This
The human brain experiences strong stress when holding contradictory information simultaneously.
For example, when the desire “I want to like that person” conflicts with the reality “but I can’t like them,” the brain automatically tries to modify one side to make them match.
What’s interesting about this proverb is how accurately it captures the direction of that modification.
In psychologist Leon Festinger’s experiments, subjects who did boring tasks for small payment later rated the work as “actually enjoyable.”
Those who received large amounts could explain “I did it for the money.” But those paid little unconsciously rewrote their memories to avoid the self-image of “a fool who did boring work cheaply.”
The expression “Dislike is the Chinese name for not gaining” actually shows double cognitive dissonance.
First, there’s the reality of “someone I can’t like.” Second, there’s the result of “I can’t become close to that person.”
The brain reconstructs these two into the causal relationship “naturally I can’t gain what I don’t like,” minimizing the hurt.
What’s noteworthy is how this psychological mechanism hinders learning.
When the brain rewrites “the other person is bad” or “it had no value from the start” when actually your approach was the problem, you repeat the same failure next time.
This proverb can be read not just as comfort, but as a warning about human cognitive bias.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us the importance of being honest with our heart’s voice.
In modern society, we sometimes spend time on things that don’t truly interest us, worrying about others’ expectations and social evaluation.
However, this proverb gently teaches us the limits of such forced effort.
When you try to learn something, first ask your heart. Are you truly interested in this, or are you just trying to meet someone’s expectations?
If your heart doesn’t respond, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and different directions of interest—this is natural.
What matters is finding something that makes you genuinely feel “this is interesting” or “I want to know more.”
It doesn’t have to be something others value. What moves your heart is what constitutes valuable learning for you.
Spending time on what you love isn’t laziness. It’s the most efficient and fulfilling path to growth.
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