How to Read “鯛も鮃も食うた者が知る”
Tai mo hirame mo kutta mono ga shiru
Meaning of “鯛も鮃も食うた者が知る”
This proverb means that the true value and goodness of things can only be understood by those who have actually experienced them.
Just as the true deliciousness of high-grade fish like sea bream and flounder can only be known by those who have actually eaten them, no matter how much you hear from others or research in books and materials, nothing surpasses actual experience. The essential value and appeal of things cannot be understood through superficial knowledge or hearsay alone.
This proverb is used when someone is pretending to know about something they haven’t experienced, or when you want to convey the importance of actually experiencing something. It’s also used when you yourself understand the value of something only after experiencing it. Even today, this teaching applies to various situations such as the wonder of travel, the hardships of child-rearing, and the fulfillment of work. It’s a very practical proverb that clearly shows the difference between knowledge and experience.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of this proverb is deeply connected to the food culture of the Edo period. Both sea bream and flounder were treasured as high-grade fish. Sea bream in particular was indispensable for celebrations due to the wordplay with “medetai” (auspicious), and flounder was also a luxury item served at special occasions for samurai families and merchant houses due to its refined white flesh flavor.
For common people in the Edo period, eating these fish was a rare luxury. For people who usually ate inexpensive fish and vegetable-centered meals, these were high-grade ingredients they could taste only on special occasions that came perhaps a few times a year. Therefore, the idea arose that only those who had actually eaten these fish could understand their true deliciousness and value.
The background of this proverb’s creation was also influenced by the class system and economic disparity of the Edo period. Opportunities to taste high-grade ingredients were limited to certain people, and the realization that only those who had actually experienced them could speak of their true worth was likely shared among common people. It’s thought that this became established as a proverb expressing the truth of life that “true value can only be understood by those who have experienced it,” going beyond mere talk about food.
Interesting Facts
Sea bream and flounder actually have interesting biological similarities. Both are fish that undergo major changes in body color and shape during their growth process. Sea bream have a silvery body color when young, and gradually develop that beautiful red color as they mature. Flounder also swim vertically like ordinary fish when they are fry, but as they grow, their bodies become flat and their eyes move to one side, changing to a lifestyle of crawling along the sea bottom.
When people in the Edo period created this proverb, they might have been conscious of these fish’s “transformations” as well. To know the true form that changes over time, which cannot be understood from appearance alone, one must actually observe and taste them, perhaps.
Usage Examples
- No matter how much you hear about overseas travel, Sea bream and flounder too eating person knows – you won’t understand the real goodness unless you actually go
- The hardships of child-rearing are something where Sea bream and flounder too eating person knows – I could only understand after experiencing it myself
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of this proverb has become even more important. With the spread of the internet, we can now access vast amounts of information instantly. We can understand product evaluations by looking at review sites, enjoy scenery from around the world by watching videos, and easily learn about others’ experiences through social media.
However, precisely because of this information-overload era, the value of actual experience stands out. No matter how highly rated a restaurant is, when you actually eat there, it might not suit your taste. Skills learned online may face unexpected difficulties when used in actual situations. Even as virtual reality technology develops, there are aspects that cannot match real experience.
Particularly, today’s younger generation, as digital natives, excel at information gathering, but on the other hand, there’s a tendency for actual experience opportunities to decrease. This trend accelerated further with the spread of remote work and online classes during the COVID pandemic. Therefore, we need to recognize anew the importance of actually experiencing things.
The modern version of “Sea bream and flounder too eating person knows” teaches us the importance of balancing information and experience. While using information as material for judgment, ultimately experiencing, feeling, and learning for ourselves leads to true understanding.
When AI Hears This
The core of this proverb lies in the hierarchy of knowledge: “true understanding cannot be gained from a single experience.” Someone who has only eaten sea bream thinks “this is delicious fish,” but someone who has eaten both sea bream and flounder develops deeper understanding through comparison: “sea bream is delicate and refined, while flounder is rich and robust.”
This phenomenon appears prominently in modern society as recognition gaps between specialists. Doctors have actually tried multiple treatment methods and felt the differences in their effectiveness firsthand, while patients have only received one treatment. This is why patients cannot understand the criteria behind doctors’ judgments about “why this particular treatment.”
Cognitive science calls this “comparative cognition.” The human brain is wired to understand things through relative comparison rather than absolute evaluation. In the investment world, someone who owns only one stock can only tell whether they “made or lost money,” but someone who has experienced multiple stocks develops an intuitive understanding of market movements and qualitative differences in risk.
In today’s social media society, while information is abundant, opportunities to actually “eat both sea bream and flounder” through comparative experiences are decreasing. As a result, more people have superficial knowledge but cannot judge why certain choices are optimal. True expertise is the accumulation of these comparative experiences.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us modern people is that precisely because we live in an era overflowing with information, we should cherish actual experience. You probably have experience with this too – when information you researched online was completely different from actual experience.
What’s important is the balance between information gathering and actual experience. While we can learn efficiently by researching beforehand, we must always try things ourselves in the end. Challenge ourselves without fearing failure. The learning gained from that is more valuable than any excellent information.
Especially when making important life choices, it’s crucial to experience things yourself as much as possible before making judgments, rather than relying only on others’ opinions or general theories. From employment, marriage, child-rearing, to choosing hobbies, while the words of those who have actually experienced these things carry weight, ultimately what you experience and feel yourself becomes the best answer.
Why not start today? Take a step forward with something you’ve been curious about but have been putting off. Surely new discoveries are waiting for you.
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