The Mantis Wants To Catch The Cicada, Not Knowing The Yellow Sparrow Is Right Beside It: Japanese Proverb Meaning

How to Read “The mantis wants to catch the cicada, not knowing the yellow sparrow is right beside it”

Tōrō semi wo toran to hoshite kōjaku no sono katawara ni aru wo shirazu

Meaning of “The mantis wants to catch the cicada, not knowing the yellow sparrow is right beside it”

This proverb describes a state where someone becomes so absorbed in pursuing immediate gains or desires that they completely fail to notice approaching dangers or threats.

Just as the mantis focuses entirely on catching the cicada and overlooks the yellow sparrow stalking from behind, people become blind to their surroundings when blinded by desire.

You use this proverb when someone chases small, immediate benefits while missing much bigger risks or dangers.

It applies to business leaders who focus only on outsmarting competitors while missing overall market changes. It also fits people who concentrate solely on beating rivals while ignoring their own weaknesses.

In today’s information-saturated world, focusing too intensely on one thing can make you miss more important warning signs.

This proverb teaches the importance of maintaining broad perspective and the calmness to objectively assess your own position.

Origin and Etymology

This proverb comes from a fable recorded in the ancient Chinese text “Shuoyuan.” The story takes place in a garden on a summer day.

A mantis raises its forelegs, about to pounce on a cicada right in front of it. The mantis focuses completely on the cicada, its whole body seemingly trembling with the excitement of capturing prey.

But right behind the mantis, a yellow sparrow quietly approaches. The sparrow is also hunting—targeting the mantis.

Someone who witnessed this scene passed it down as a lesson warning against the foolishness of becoming absorbed in immediate gains while missing dangers behind you.

Through the universal phenomenon of the food chain in nature, this fable sharply points out human behavior patterns.

Interestingly, some say this story actually has a continuation. Behind the yellow sparrow stands a human with a slingshot, and the sparrow doesn’t realize it’s being targeted either.

This means anyone can become “the mantis”—a deeper warning embedded in the tale.

This proverb came to Japan and has been passed down as a lesson about desire and crisis management in human society.

Interesting Facts

Scientists have confirmed that mantises actually experience extremely narrowed vision when targeting prey.

Among insects with compound eyes, mantises almost completely lose peripheral vision when focusing on prey. They literally enter the state this proverb describes.

Ancient Chinese people may have detected this characteristic through natural observation, even without scientific knowledge.

The yellow sparrow has been beloved in China since ancient times. Its beautiful yellow feathers earned it the name “yellow bird.”

It actually feeds mainly on insects and does prey on large insects like mantises. The animals in this proverb accurately reflect the actual food chain in ecosystems.

Usage Examples

• He was so focused on crushing his rival company that, like “the mantis wants to catch the cicada, not knowing the yellow sparrow is right beside it,” a startup stole his market share
• That politician is absorbed in pursuing scandals, but like “the mantis wants to catch the cicada, not knowing the yellow sparrow is right beside it,” he doesn’t realize his own foundation is crumbling

Universal Wisdom

This proverb has been passed down because it brilliantly captures the essential blindness of human desire.

We all experience how everything else disappears from view when we strongly want something. Love, money, status, honor, victory.

When what we want is right in front of us, human consciousness narrows surprisingly.

What’s interesting is that this proverb doesn’t simply say “don’t be greedy.” The mantis hunting the cicada is a necessary act for survival.

The problem is becoming so absorbed in that act that you can’t see the overall situation around you.

In other words, this proverb warns not about desire itself, but about the objectivity lost through desire.

Thinking deeper, this proverb shows the universal truth that “anyone can become the mantis.”

The yellow sparrow, when targeting the mantis, may be defenseless against another danger. Strong and weak, hunter and hunted—all share the same human nature.

Our ancestors saw a microcosm of human society in this small scene from nature.

Power struggles, economic competition, all human relationships repeat this pattern. That’s why this proverb resonates with us across time.

When AI Hears This

When the mantis becomes absorbed in the cicada, its field of vision physically narrows. The human brain works the same way.

When you concentrate on something, the total amount of attention resources available is limited, so other information processing abilities actually decline.

Cognitive science calls this the “spotlight theory of attention.” Like stage lighting, the area you can brightly illuminate is limited.

When you shine strongly on one point, the surroundings darken.

What’s interesting is that when the emotion of “desire” is added, this spotlight narrows even more extremely.

Research shows that when expectation of reward increases, dopamine in the brain increases, and attention to the target object becomes excessively concentrated.

In other words, the more strongly the mantis “wants” to catch the cicada, the less it can perceive the sparrow behind it.

This isn’t an emotional problem but a physical limitation of the brain’s information processing.

This cognitive tunnel vision is more dangerous for highly capable people. Past success creates confidence that “this method will work,” causing them to narrow the spotlight even further.

Accidents where skilled pilots focus too much on instruments and miss warning sounds, or cases where excellent surgeons become absorbed in surgical procedures and can’t notice patient deterioration, exemplify this phenomenon.

The more attractive the prey in front of you, the more automatically the brain cuts peripheral information. This isn’t weakness of will but a structural characteristic of the human cognitive system.

Lessons for Today

This proverb teaches us the importance of balancing focus on success with perspective on the whole picture.

Working hard toward goals is wonderful. But develop the habit of occasionally stopping to check whether you’re missing surrounding changes or new risks in the process.

Especially in today’s social media age, we easily become absorbed in the number of likes or comparisons with others.

But while our attention is captured there, aren’t we losing sight of truly important relationships and our own mental health?

As a practical method, I recommend having regular “bird’s-eye view time.” Once a week, quietly reflect on whether what you’re chasing is truly valuable and what you’re sacrificing in the process.

What are you most absorbed in right now in your life? That’s wonderful. But sometimes, step back from that flame of passion and look at the whole place where you’re standing.

The scenery that comes into view there will make you wiser and stronger.