How to Read “Even lies have seeds”
Uso ni mo tane ga iru
Meaning of “Even lies have seeds”
“Even lies have seeds” means that even lies and rumors contain some element of fact or reason at their core.
Stories that are completely groundless are actually rare. Every story has some kind of basis or triggering event behind it.
This proverb is used when you hear rumors or hard-to-believe stories. It encourages you to consider that there might be a grain of truth before dismissing something as ridiculous.
It’s also used when someone lies. Instead of harshly judging them, you might say this to show understanding that there was probably some reason behind it, not just pure fiction.
In modern society, we’re flooded with information and the term “fake news” has emerged. But the wisdom of this proverb remains valid today.
Even information that seems like misinformation often contains some fact when you trace its source and background. There may be misunderstanding or exaggeration, but rarely nothing at all.
Origin and Etymology
The exact source of this proverb is unclear, but we can make interesting observations from its structure. Let’s focus on the word “seed.”
Plant seeds may seem small and insignificant, but they truly contain the source of life. Plants don’t grow from nothing—there must always be an actual seed.
This natural principle has been applied to the world of human words. That’s what this proverb represents.
The combination of “lies” and “seeds” is fascinating because they seem contradictory. Lies are fiction, while seeds are real.
Yet by saying “even lies have seeds,” the proverb shows insight that complete fiction is actually hard to create.
During the Edo period, common people actively exchanged rumors and gossip. Even stories that seemed outrageous often contained some truth when investigated closely.
This is similar to the proverb “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” But “Even lies have seeds” uses the metaphor of life, making it feel warmer.
It likely emerged from the wisdom of everyday people’s lives.
Usage Examples
- That rumor is exaggerated, but even lies have seeds, so maybe there’s some truth in it
- His excuse is hard to believe, but even lies have seeds, so it’s probably not completely made up
Universal Wisdom
“Even lies have seeds” offers deep insight into the relationship between human words and truth. Why has this wisdom been passed down for so long?
It’s because humans actually find it difficult to create complete fiction.
When people speak, their words always come from their inner world—their experiences, emotions, desires, and fears.
Even when distorting, exaggerating, or hiding facts, they cannot create words completely disconnected from the reality they’ve lived. Even when lying, people use something they know as material.
This proverb teaches the importance of tolerance and insight. It’s easy to dismiss someone’s words as “lies.”
But the attitude of trying to find the grain of truth beneath deepens our understanding of people.
At the same time, recognizing that rumors and gossip may contain some truth helps us stay humble.
Our ancestors knew this truth. In human society, pure truth and pure falsehood are both rare. Most words exist somewhere in between.
This wisdom has served as a compass for navigating complex human relationships.
When AI Hears This
When we view lies as information, something interesting emerges. Information theory says messages need “redundancy” to be trusted.
Redundancy means predictable patterns contained within information.
For example, if you lie saying “I went to Tokyo Tower yesterday,” this lie needs to match existing information patterns to be believed.
It must align with Tokyo Tower’s operating hours, transportation methods, and surrounding scenery. A lie created completely from scratch has too many contradictions when checked against the receiver’s “reality database.”
It gets detected as an error immediately.
Claude Shannon, founder of information theory, showed through his research on error detection that messages need certain structural patterns.
Lies work the same way. The more convincing a lie is, the more it borrows from the information structure of truth.
In other words, the “seed” of a lie is the information pattern borrowed from truth itself.
Completely random lies have too much entropy to make sense. Conversely, lies with structures close to truth pass through the receiver’s cognitive system more easily.
This reveals the interesting fact that lies are information structures that parasitize truth.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is flexibility in how you see things.
Information flying around on social media, workplace rumors, stories from friends—if you try to judge these as simply “true or false,” you oversimplify the world.
What matters is the attitude that every piece of information has some background.
Even with information that seems like fake news, thinking about why it emerged and who’s spreading it with what intention reveals deeper layers of society.
Your friend’s exaggerated story might help you notice their true feelings underneath.
At the same time, this proverb is a warning to yourself. The words you casually speak and the content you post on social media also have “seeds.”
Being conscious of whether those seeds are good or harmful helps you communicate more responsibly.
Precisely because we’re flooded with information today, the wisdom of searching for grains of truth behind each word will enrich your life.
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