JLPT N1Proverbs
水清ければ魚棲まず
- Meaning
- あまりに清廉潔白すぎると人が寄り付かない
- Explanation
- A caution that being too pure-minded and overly fastidious actually keeps people away and leads to isolation. Though it deals with the same 「厳しさ」 (strictness), the point is that it is the exact opposite of c2, which holds that it gains people's trust; it points out the harm of excessive purity.
Original Japanese explanation
あまりに清廉で潔癖すぎると、かえって人が近寄らず孤立するという戒め。同じ「厳しさ」でも、人望を集めると説く c2 とは正反対で、行き過ぎた清廉さの弊害を指摘する点が要点です。
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