Proverb / Kotowaza
群盲象を評す
Ordinary people grasp only a small part of a great matter and fail to see the big picture.
A group of blind men appraising an elephant
Quick Answer
Ordinary people grasp only a small part of a great matter and fail to see the big picture.
- Literal Image
- A group of blind men appraising an elephant
- How to Use It
- Used to describe or criticize situations where people argue or make judgments based on fragmented information without understanding the overall context.
Meaning
This expression describes a scenario where several blind people touch different parts of an elephant and form conflicting conclusions about what the animal is based only on their limited experience. It serves as a metaphor for how people with a narrow perspective can only grasp a small fraction of a great person or a massive undertaking. It warns that judging the whole based on fragmented information leads to an incomplete and potentially incorrect understanding.
Literal Image
A group of blind men appraising an elephant
How to Use It
Used to describe or criticize situations where people argue or make judgments based on fragmented information without understanding the overall context.
Tone
Carries a critical or cautionary tone regarding narrow-mindedness.
Examples
専門知識のない人たちが断片的な情報で議論するのは、群盲象を評すようなものだ。
When people without expertise debate using only fragmented information, it is like the blind men appraising an elephant.
全体像を見ずに部分だけで判断するのは群盲象を評すに等しい。
Judging a matter by its parts without looking at the whole picture is the same as the blind men appraising an elephant.
群盲象を評すにならないよう、まずは全容を把握してから意見を述べよう。
To avoid acting like the blind men appraising the elephant, let's grasp the full situation before we offer our opinions.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary items for 'blind group' (群盲) and 'appraise' (評す) are literary, and the idiomatic meaning requires understanding the underlying parable.
群盲
ぐんもう / gunmo
group of blind people
象
ぞう / zo
elephant
評す
ひょうす / hyosu
to evaluate or appraise
Usage Profile
Usage note: Use this to critique a lack of perspective rather than as a literal comment on physical ability.
Misread Risk
The proverb is a metaphor for limited information and intellectual perspective; it should not be applied literally to people with visual impairments.
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.