How to Read “An octopus has no bones and a jellyfish has no eyes”
Tako ni hone nashi kurage ni me nashi
Meaning of “An octopus has no bones and a jellyfish has no eyes”
“An octopus has no bones and a jellyfish has no eyes” describes something that is obviously true to everyone. It refers to facts so clear that they don’t need to be stated.
That an octopus has no bones and a jellyfish has no eyes are facts anyone familiar with sea creatures knows. This proverb is used to point out things that are “so obvious they don’t need to be said.”
People use this saying when someone states common knowledge as if it were a new discovery. It’s also used in discussions to confirm basic facts that everyone should already know.
Even today, when talking about the essence or basic principles of something, you can say “this is like an octopus has no bones and a jellyfish has no eyes.” This means “as an obvious premise.”
It’s a phrase that can express the importance of confirming self-evident truths with a touch of humor.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, we can make interesting observations from how the phrase is structured.
It pairs two marine creatures, the octopus and jellyfish, and states their physical characteristics. Octopuses truly have no bones and are known as soft-bodied animals.
Jellyfish are also mostly made of water and don’t have organs that could be called eyes.
This proverb likely came from the observations of fishermen and people living by the sea. Through daily contact with sea creatures, the characteristics of octopuses and jellyfish were common knowledge to everyone.
By using these “obviously clear facts” as examples, the phrase became established as a way to express “things that go without saying.”
The expression format of pairing two creatures like a couplet is a traditional Japanese rhetorical technique. It has rhythm, is easy to remember, and has characteristics that make it easy to pass down orally.
Repeating the negative form “has no” creates an emphasis effect.
This proverb shows the wisdom of common people. They elevated observations of familiar sea creatures into an expression that speaks to life’s truths.
Interesting Facts
Octopuses are soft-bodied animals without bones, but they actually have one hard part. It’s called a “beak” and is located in the mouth area.
This hard, beak-like organ is used to crush prey. From a biological perspective, it’s interesting that they’re not completely without hard parts.
While jellyfish are said to have no eyes, some species have organs that sense light. Certain box jellyfish are known to have complex eyespots with lenses.
However, when this proverb was created, such detailed knowledge of their biology was probably unknown.
Usage Examples
- Saying water flows from high places to low places is like an octopus has no bones and a jellyfish has no eyes
- Him being late is like an octopus has no bones and a jellyfish has no eyes—it’s nothing to be surprised about anymore
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “An octopus has no bones and a jellyfish has no eyes” teaches us human wisdom. It shows that unwavering truth exists in what seems obvious.
We are sometimes captivated by new things or complex theories. But aren’t life’s truly important truths actually very simple?
They’re found in obvious things that everyone knows. The sun rises in the east, water flows from high to low. Such self-evident truths are the foundation that supports the world.
This proverb has been passed down for so long perhaps because humans easily forget the basics. As our knowledge grows and we gain experience, we tend to find value in complexity.
But what’s truly important is how deeply we understand and practice the basic principles everyone knows.
Our ancestors used familiar examples of sea creatures to convey this truth. The honesty to accept obvious things as obvious, and the attitude of valuing the basics.
This is human wisdom that doesn’t change across time. Don’t dismiss self-evident truths, but rather find deep meaning in them.
This proverb contains such humility.
When AI Hears This
Looking at octopus and jellyfish bodies as blueprints reveals surprising facts. By having no bones, octopuses can pass through gaps dozens of times smaller than their body volume.
By having no eyes, jellyfish can make over 95 percent of their body water, bringing buoyancy costs close to zero. In other words, the choice to “not have” something created room to maximize other abilities.
Evolutionary biology calls this constraint-dependent design. Since organisms don’t have infinite energy, investing resources in one function means sacrificing another.
For example, maintaining a skeleton requires large amounts of calcium and energy. Octopuses eliminated that cost entirely and redirected it to precise control of their nervous system and muscles.
As a result, they simultaneously acquired the ability to hide in rock crevices and perform complex camouflage.
What’s interesting is that subtraction-based designs are harder to reverse. Once octopuses lost their bones, they could no longer live on land.
Jellyfish also permanently closed the path to developing brains for visual information processing. But limited to the ocean environment, they are overwhelmingly more efficient than creatures with bones or eyes.
An optimal solution exists that only those who accept constraints can reach.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of returning to basics. In today’s information-overflowing society, we constantly seek new knowledge and innovative ideas.
But what’s truly important is how deeply we can understand and practice the basic principles everyone knows.
In work and relationships, when problems arise, what we should return to isn’t complex theory but simple basics. Greeting people, keeping promises, expressing gratitude.
Doing these obvious things naturally may actually be the most difficult and most valuable thing.
This proverb also teaches the importance of humility. The attitude of not dismissing self-evident truths but trying to find deep meaning in them.
This becomes the foundation of a heart that continues to learn.
Why not start valuing obvious things today? Carefully building up the basics is actually the most reliable path to growth.
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