How to Read “Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish”
Taikoku wo osamuru wa shōsen wo niru ga gotoku su
Meaning of “Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish”
This proverb means that governing a large country requires delicate and careful attention, just like cooking a small fish.
Small fish have soft flesh that breaks apart easily. If you stir them repeatedly over high heat, they fall to pieces. Cook them gently over low heat, and they turn out beautifully.
The same applies when leading a large organization or country. If you interfere too much or push changes too quickly, you create chaos instead of progress.
Leaders must carefully assess situations, limit their interventions to what’s truly necessary, and respect the natural flow of things.
This proverb is used when organizational leaders make policy decisions or manage large projects. It’s invoked when you want to emphasize that success comes not from force, but from delicate care and patience.
Even today, it remains a thought-provoking expression when considering what good leadership looks like.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to come from the ancient Chinese text “Tao Te Ching” by Laozi. Laozi was a philosopher from around the 6th century BCE, known for teaching the philosophy of non-action and naturalness.
The original Chinese text uses the phrase “治大国、若烹小鮮,” which was transmitted to Japan and became established there. “Small fish” refers to small fish like sweetfish or sardines.
Why did cooking small fish become a metaphor for governing a country? When you cook small fish, stirring them repeatedly or handling them roughly over high heat causes the flesh to fall apart.
Cook them slowly over low heat with minimal handling, and they turn out beautiful and delicious.
In Laozi’s philosophy, excessive intervention by rulers and constantly changing policies were thought to disturb the country. Just as you handle small fish carefully, the secret to governing a large country is trusting the people, watching quietly, and keeping involvement to a minimum.
This philosophy was transmitted to Japan and has been passed down for generations as wisdom for rulers. It’s a remarkably skillful expression that uses the familiar act of cooking to illustrate the importance of delicacy and caution.
Usage Examples
- I’ve been put in charge of a new department, but governing a large country is like cooking a small fish—I’ll start by carefully observing the workplace first
- Seeing my predecessor fail by rushing organizational reform too quickly, I remembered the saying that governing a large country is like cooking a small fish
Universal Wisdom
This proverb teaches us a truth about human society: the bigger something is, the more delicacy it requires to move it. We tend to think that having power means we can do anything, but actually it’s how we use that power that matters.
Humans have a well-intentioned impulse to change things and make them better. Especially when we’re in leadership positions, enthusiasm wells up to realize our ideals.
But when that enthusiasm becomes too strong, we can hurt those around us and damage the organization instead.
Why does this happen? Because human society is built on countless delicate relationships. Individual emotions, trust, habits, culture—these are hard to see, but they’re the vital foundation supporting the organization.
Hasty reforms shake this foundation.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because humans have repeated the same mistakes over and over. Reforms begun with good intentions create confusion, and forceful leadership exhausts organizations.
Having witnessed this history, our ancestors left us this profound wisdom by comparing it to the everyday act of cooking small fish. True power is restrained power, and true leadership is the strength to wait—this is what the proverb quietly tells us.
When AI Hears This
Imagine an experiment where you drop sand grains one by one onto the peak of a sand pile. At first nothing happens, but eventually the pile reaches a critical state.
In this state, a single grain might cause a small collapse, or it might trigger an avalanche that destroys the entire pile. You can’t predict which will happen. This is the phenomenon physicist Per Bak called self-organized criticality.
A large country as a complex system exists in the same state. A society built on interactions among millions of people constantly fluctuates near the critical point.
When rulers frequently intervene saying “let’s make this better,” unexpected chain reactions occur. For example, strengthening price controls to stabilize prices creates black markets, distorts distribution, and confuses the entire economy instead.
Just as flipping small fish repeatedly breaks them apart, the number of contacts with the system itself becomes a risk.
What’s interesting is that complex systems have self-healing power. Forest fire research shows that allowing small fires prevents large destructive fires.
Small fluctuations disperse energy and move the system away from the critical state. The “non-action governance” that Laozi intuitively grasped was actually the optimal strategy for keeping complex systems in a safe zone away from the critical point.
The ruler’s patience creates stability for the entire system.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is the importance of having the courage not to rush. We live in an era where we tend to hurry for results.
Everyone feels the desire to produce results quickly and create change fast.
But if you want to accomplish something truly important, you need the mindset of cooking small fish. When you enter a new environment, take time to observe first.
When you’re in a position to lead a team, start by listening to each member’s voice rather than rushing into reforms.
This isn’t a passive attitude. Rather, it’s an active stance of deeply understanding the situation and identifying the right timing. Delicacy isn’t weakness—it’s true strength.
When you’re working on something big, remember these words. Don’t apply too much force, but never look away. Be careful and cautious.
If you do, beautiful results will surely emerge. Let go of impatience and trust the process. That’s the path to bringing out your full potential.
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