How to Read “Three months of family teachings, the Great Learning of the Four Books”
Teikin sangatsu shisho daigaku
Meaning of “Three months of family teachings, the Great Learning of the Four Books”
This proverb describes someone who starts something with enthusiasm but quickly loses interest and quits.
It specifically refers to situations where people begin with high motivation but give up after just three months, never reaching their original goals.
The saying comes from the idea of parents trying to teach their children the Four Books, a massive body of Confucian learning.
Even though they start with grand ambitions, the child quits before finishing even the first book, the Great Learning.
This captures a common human trait: having big plans but failing to follow through.
By using specific details like the three-month timeframe and the name of an actual textbook, the proverb makes this abstract concept feel real and relatable.
Even today, everyone has experienced this. We make New Year’s resolutions, start new hobbies, or begin studying for certifications with great enthusiasm.
But before we know it, we’ve stopped. This proverb perfectly describes this “three-month dropout” phenomenon.
Origin and Etymology
No clear historical records explain the exact origin of this proverb. However, we can make interesting guesses based on how the phrase is constructed.
“Teikin” means family education or home training. This has long been considered crucial in raising children.
The “Four Books” are the fundamental Confucian classics: the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects, and Mencius.
During the Edo period, these texts were essential learning for the samurai class. Among them, the Great Learning held the top position.
It was considered the introductory text that students should study first.
This proverb likely emerged from educational settings during the Edo period.
Parents would begin teaching their children the Four Books as part of home education. But after just three months, the children would lose interest.
They couldn’t even finish the first book, the Great Learning.
In an era when Confucian learning was highly valued, studying the Four Books was the first step toward success in life.
Yet no matter how noble the initial intentions, the difficulty of continuing remains the same across all ages.
This saying contains both a wry smile at human fickleness and a lesson about the importance of perseverance.
Interesting Facts
The Great Learning mentioned in this proverb contains only 1,753 characters. It’s the shortest of the Four Books and was designed for beginners.
Yet people couldn’t even finish this brief text. That’s where the proverb’s ironic flavor comes from.
In Edo period temple schools, students typically began with the opening line of the Great Learning: “The way of great learning lies in manifesting bright virtue.”
This proverb describes giving up right at the entrance to learning itself.
Usage Examples
- My son started English conversation classes, but it’s exactly “Three months of family teachings, the Great Learning of the Four Books”—he doesn’t want to go anymore
- Every time I see my gym membership card, I feel pathetic about my “Three months of family teachings, the Great Learning of the Four Books” behavior
Universal Wisdom
Humans experience two conflicting emotions: the excitement of starting something new and the boredom of continuing it.
This proverb has been passed down for hundreds of years because it captures this universal human nature so perfectly.
When we begin something, we imagine our ideal future selves. We picture ourselves having mastered knowledge, acquired skills, and achieved goals.
That brilliant image becomes the driving force for taking the first step.
But the actual process of learning and training is mundane, repetitive, and sometimes painful.
When we face the gap between ideal and reality, our hearts break easily.
What’s interesting is that this proverb mentions “three months” rather than “three days.”
This suggests that humans can get through the first few days or weeks on novelty alone.
But three months is when the freshness wears off and real ability starts being tested.
Our ancestors didn’t blame human weakness. Instead, they accepted it as natural.
That’s why this proverb contains self-reflection and empathy rather than criticism.
No one is perfect. Everyone is fickle and weak. Starting from that premise, the proverb quietly asks about the value of continuing anyway.
When AI Hears This
From birth to age three, connections between nerve cells in the human brain (synapses) explode in number.
Synapse density during this period reaches about twice that of adults. The brain is literally doing “wiring work.”
What’s fascinating is that only circuits that get used remain, while unused circuits get deleted.
In other words, what you experience before age three literally determines your brain’s physical structure.
Language sound recognition ability is particularly noteworthy. Six-month-old babies can distinguish sounds from any language in the world.
But after age one, they lose the ability to distinguish sounds not in their native language.
Japanese people struggle to hear the difference between English L and R precisely because they lacked English exposure during this critical period.
For efficiency, the brain ruthlessly cuts unused circuits.
Even more surprising, the foundation for social skills like attachment formation and emotional regulation is determined by relationships with caregivers during this period.
Children who experience stable relationships before age three develop proper functioning in brain regions that regulate stress hormones.
This proverb placed family education before the Four Books and the Great Learning because it recognized the period when the brain’s foundation itself is formed, before knowledge.
This is a case where empirical wisdom matches scientific fact, demonstrating remarkably sharp human observation.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us that we don’t need to be ashamed of being fickle.
Rather, real growth begins when we acknowledge it as a natural human trait.
What matters isn’t continuing perfectly. It’s having the courage to start again after quitting.
If you lose interest after three months, just begin again with fresh motivation.
Repeatedly failing and moving forward bit by bit—this awkward progress might actually be the most reliable path to growth.
Modern society tends to demand perfect consistency with sayings like “perseverance is power.”
But this proverb offers a different perspective. If we accept that humans are creatures who get bored, we gain wisdom to make realistic plans from the start.
Sometimes accumulating small achievements takes you farther than grand goals.
If you’re struggling with something you started, that’s normal. Our ancestors walked the same path.
What matters is understanding your own fickleness and still trying to move forward.
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