Emojis have that something, and it’s not that we use it only when conversing, we use it when describing something, simply to leave an impact, so when one uses it incorrectly, we often are angered, given all the emojis have different, unique and real stories hidden behind it, something that will make you rethink the whole idea behind it. Given the emoji collection originates from Japan, it’s only natural that most of the emojis are associated with the Japanese culture, and that’s where all the unknown emojis in your collection come from. Unless you happen to be living in Japan, it’s not a big deal if you know now what each of the means, given that some are simply a representation of culture, and we all know it can be hard to comprehend different aspects of different cultures. Even so, it doesn’t mean you should ignore it all together, but rather to avoid using it without knowing what does it really mean. Again, this only applies if you’re not familiar with Japanese culture, because if you are, it’s not a big deal to use something you know all about.
You’d be surprised some things belong to the Japanese culture in the first place. Yes, it’s easy to recognize the basics, but the truth is, most of the emojis originate from the Japanese culture, and some of those aren’t as obvious. Some of the emojis are simply relatable, and at the same time also viral, used by a thousands of people. Some of them need no background, given they’re rather out there in the open, with a single, universal meaning, not to be mistaken with anything else. So what do you think? Which one of your favorite emojis hides its origin story better than you thought? Well, you probably know the legend already, and if not, you know how to use these emojis, as they do possess only a certain meaning and are not easily confused with anything else.
Join us as we break down one of the most used set of emojis around the globe, set of three adorable monkeys covering different parts of the body in order to send a message. Yes, you read that one right. The adorable monkey collection originates from Japan, and it actually is a pretty old legend, a story, known as three wise monkeys, noted by one of the old philosophers, and with a universal message you’ll surely love. The message itself is an actual proverb and it goes like this: See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. Let us introduce you to the three monkeys you’ve probably used a thousand times by now.
Mizaru, or better known as the monkey covering his eyes is the first part of the proverb, and probably one of the most important ones, as it represents a whole lot more than just the importance of seeing no evil. Mizaru is a first one in a row, therefore the one that we should imitate first, in order to achieve our inner peace. The message is clear, one must restrain from evil in order to do something good, and it’s not just that we should avoid the mere sight of it, we should also make sure to cover our eyes when in touch of it. So, when in doubt, Mizaru is definitely the one who should come first to your mind, as long as you have him to guide you, you’re two steps away from keeping up with an old proverb that contains wisdom of life in it.
Kikazaru? Well, the name itself is strange, but as it goes in the legend, hear no evil monkey is only a second step in the proverb. The proverb itself are simply directions to live by, but according to the interpretations, hear no evil monkey is a bridge to cross ion order to regain control over your thoughts. To understand things better, Kikazaru is not just the one that saves you from the influence of people that mean you harm, it’s also the one that makes you think, as his hands are also placed on the head, not only covering ears. Kikazaru is a symbol for critical thinking, calculating one’s thoughts, calculating what lies behind the words they had already spoken, and only if you’ve done that you’ll be eligible for the next part. Of course, Kikazaru cannot prevent you from hearing people out, he merely asks you to be careful with it, to think about what that might mean, and to be the one who acts only when necessary. The key of the proverb is mainly in the bridge, as often we hear people out and act upon it without thinking about the consequences that may occur as a result.
Iwazaru is the last one you encounter, and while most of us use it to present ourselves as shy, the main story behind it is a bit more different. We had to see no evil, then hear no evil, only to be completely eligible to act out, to speak your mind. The thought behind it is basically control over the spoken word, something that should be exercised in any case. The influence people have over us is undeniable, but it’s not necessarily bad, that’s why all three of them are so important. Iwazaru is there to complete the life cycle, to finally release us, once we acquire the control, it’s easy to live by it. The steps are relatively easy ones all considered, they’re natural for our brain, but the focus of the proverb is on the Iwazaru, as he is the one that makes us do something before we speak, he makes us rethink if the words we were about to speak are evil or not, if they’re necessary or not. All three of them present the harmony, something that we all aim for. You’ll meet the legend itself in the old carvings as well in the form of sculptures.