How to Read “Whether an eel slips or a shark jumps, it’s still one lifetime”
unagi wa subette mo ichidai haze wa tonde mo ichidai
Meaning of “Whether an eel slips or a shark jumps, it’s still one lifetime”
This proverb shows a harsh reality. Your inborn nature and social position cannot be changed, no matter how hard you try.
An eel can slip and move quickly through water. But it remains an eel for its entire life. A goby fish desperately jumps, trying to reach higher. Yet it stays a goby forever.
People use this expression when someone tries to reach beyond their station. It also applies to those forcing themselves to change their essential nature.
The saying especially warns that qualities determined by birth and upbringing don’t change easily. Character traits built over many years are particularly stubborn.
Modern society has no class system. But this proverb still conveys a universal truth. Human nature is difficult to change fundamentally.
It warns against pretending to be someone you’re not. Acting in ways that contradict your true self brings problems. This message remains relevant today.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain this proverb’s origin. However, the structure of the phrase offers interesting insights.
Notice how two types of fish are contrasted. The eel has long been prized as a luxury fish in Japan. Its body is distinctively slippery and smooth.
The goby is a small fish living in shallow waters. It has a habit of jumping above the water surface. For common people in the Edo period, these two fish likely symbolized high and low social status.
The actions “slipping” and “jumping” reveal deeper meaning. No matter how quickly an eel slips through water, it’s still just an eel. No matter how vigorously a goby jumps upward, it remains only a goby.
This contrast probably emerged from the strict class system of Edo-period Japan. That’s the leading theory among scholars.
The word “one lifetime” carries temporal weight. From birth to death, your essential nature doesn’t change. This phrase contains both resignation and warning, compressed into just a few words.
Interesting Facts
The goby can be written with different characters meaning “sand fish.” It’s known for preferring sandy bottoms. These fish actually do jump above water.
The mudskipper, a type of goby, is famous for jumping on tidal flats. People in the past saw gobies jumping near rivers and seas regularly.
The metaphor “jumping but still just a small fish” made immediate sense to them. They witnessed this behavior in their daily lives.
The eel’s “slipping” quality has long been used metaphorically. It describes people who are hard to pin down or quick to escape situations.
However, this proverb contains irony. No matter how skillfully someone maneuvers through life, their essential nature remains unchanged.
Usage Examples
- He’s suddenly acting like a gentleman, but “whether an eel slips or a shark jumps, it’s still one lifetime”—his true nature will show soon enough
- He’s acting superior now that he’s moved up in the world, but remember “whether an eel slips or a shark jumps, it’s still one lifetime”
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down because it contains deep insight into human society. It reflects a universal conflict we all face.
Everyone desires to transcend their essential nature. Yet everyone must also confront the limits of who they are.
The jumping goby represents human ambition and aspiration. Higher, farther—we all want to reach beyond ourselves. But no matter how high a goby jumps, it cannot become a bird that flies through the sky.
Our ancestors expressed this harsh reality through fish behavior. Meanwhile, the eel’s smooth movement suggests someone who navigates the world skillfully. Yet no matter how cleverly they maneuver, their essential nature doesn’t change.
What’s interesting is that this proverb functions as a warning, not mere resignation. People must know and accept their essential nature. Only then can they find their true way of living.
The proverb quietly but firmly teaches the emptiness of overreaching. It shows the futility of pretending to be someone you’re not.
Human nature formed by birth and upbringing is indeed difficult to change. But knowing this isn’t cause for despair. It might actually be the starting point for living authentically.
Our ancestors entrusted this harsh yet warm truth to two fish. They passed it down to future generations through this simple image.
When AI Hears This
Whether an eel slips or a goby jumps, both end the same lifetime. This actually embodies a fundamental principle shown by the second law of thermodynamics.
This law states that entropy in an isolated system increases over time. Simply put, every system eventually moves toward a disordered equilibrium state.
Notice something remarkable here. The goby’s jumping is high-energy behavior. The eel’s slipping is low-energy behavior. From an energy consumption perspective, they’re complete opposites. Yet their final outcome is identical.
Jumping requires energy several times the body weight. It consumes massive amounts of ATP, the chemical energy in muscles. Slipping minimizes friction resistance during movement. Its energy efficiency is over ten times better than jumping.
One rapidly dissipates energy. The other dissipates it slowly. But both walk the same one-way path. They move from life’s low-entropy state to death’s high-entropy state.
From this perspective, intensity or gentleness of lifestyle merely differs in entropy increase rate. From the universe’s viewpoint, every lifestyle is the same physical phenomenon. It’s just a transition process from order to disorder.
The arrow of time moves in only one direction for everyone.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of knowing and accepting their essential nature. That takes courage.
In today’s social media world, everyone tries to present their best self. People constantly stretch beyond who they really are. But playing a role far from your true self puts enormous strain on your heart.
If you’re a goby, you don’t need to force yourself to become an eel. Gobies have their own strengths. There’s a way of living that uses those characteristics well.
What matters isn’t denying your essential nature. It’s understanding that nature, then finding your own authentic path.
However, don’t use this proverb as an excuse for not changing. Your essence may not change, but how you use it is up to you. How you polish it is your choice.
A goby cannot fly through the air. But in water, its agility is unmatched. That’s a real strength. Understand your characteristics deeply. Make the most of them.
That might be what this proverb truly wants to convey. Value your authentic self. Within that authenticity, aim to become your best self. Let’s move forward that way.
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