What does 'Confucius to a Dog' mean?
It means that even if you try to convey good teachings or logic, those who cannot understand will not appreciate its value.
How did this proverb originate?
Originally, the Analects is a book that compiles the words of Confucius, a figure in Chinese Confucianism. The exchanges between Confucius and his disciples are central, and some of his teachings are still relevant today, thus being passed down as famous quotes.
However, as the content is difficult while containing valuable words, it cannot be comprehended without a certain level of knowledge and culture.
From this, it is said that there's no point in saying 'how wonderful this book is!' to those who cannot understand its content because they cannot appreciate its value.
As to why 'dogs' are used in the proverb, the specific reason is not clearly understood. Perhaps, since dogs have been living closely with humans since ancient times, they were easy to use in a proverb.
