You’ve seen them everywhere. On cheap plastic keychains in tourist traps, in the emoji keyboard on your phone, and probably as a dusty stone carving in your grandmother’s garden. Three monkeys. One covers his eyes, one covers his ears, and one covers his mouth. We call it hear see speak no evil. Most people think it’s just a cute way of saying "mind your own business" or "don't be a gossip." Honestly? That’s not even close to the original point.
The history of these primates is actually way more complex than a WhatsApp sticker. It’s a mix of ancient Japanese philosophy, Buddhist teachings, and a massive cultural misunderstanding that happened when the concept moved from the East to the West.
Where the Three Wise Monkeys actually came from
If you want to find the "ground zero" for the hear see speak no evil trio, you have to look at the Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Japan. It was built in the 17th century. There’s a famous wood carving there on the stable of the sacred horses. But here is the kicker: the monkeys weren’t even a Japanese invention to begin with. The idea likely hitched a ride from China along with Tendai-Buddhist eighth-century traditions.
The monkeys have names. Mizaru (covering eyes), Kikazaru (covering ears), and Iwazaru (covering mouth). In Japanese, the word for monkey is saru, which sounds almost exactly like the verb ending -zaru, which indicates negation. It’s a pun. A 400-year-old dad joke carved into a building.
The missing fourth monkey
Nobody talks about Shizaru. Seriously.
In the original versions of the philosophy, there’s often a fourth monkey. Shizaru represents "do no evil." He’s usually depicted crossing his arms or covering his crotch. When the motif moved to the West, we basically edited him out. Maybe we thought three was a more aesthetically pleasing number, or maybe the "do no evil" part felt a bit too redundant. Either way, the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" trio became the standard, leaving poor Shizaru in the footnotes of history.
The massive shift in meaning
In the East, the monkeys were originally a positive command. It was about protection. If you don't let evil into your mind through your senses, it can't take root in your soul. It’s basically the 1600s version of "curating your feed." It was an instruction for the wise to stay pure and focused on what matters.
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Then it hit the West and everything flipped.
Instead of being a guide for personal integrity, hear see speak no evil became a sarcastic way to describe "willful ignorance." Think about a corporate scandal where the middle managers pretend they didn't see the CEO cooking the books. That’s how we use it now. We use it to describe people who look the other way when things go south. We turned a code of honor into a critique of cowardice. It's a weirdly cynical transformation when you think about it.
Confucius and the "Rules of Propriety"
While the monkeys themselves are a later visual shorthand, the philosophy traces back to the Analects of Confucius. Somewhere around the 2nd to 4th century BC, there’s a passage that says: "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety."
Confucius wasn't telling people to be oblivious. He was talking about propriety. It was about social harmony. If you don’t engage with the garbage, the garbage doesn’t spread. Simple.
Why it still resonates in 2026
We live in a world where we see everything, hear everything, and speak way too much on social media. The hear see speak no evil motif is arguably more relevant now than it was in the Edo period. Our brains aren't wired for the constant firehose of information we deal with daily.
There’s a mental health angle here that experts are starting to lean into. Dr. Paul Wong, a psychologist known for his work on the meaning of life, has often discussed how personal responsibility and "meaning-centered" living involve choosing what we give our attention to. In a digital age, "seeing no evil" might just mean unfollowing accounts that make you miserable.
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Visual culture and the emoji era
Let's be real: most of us interact with these monkeys via the emoji tray. They were added to the Unicode standard in 2010. Since then, they've taken on entirely new, lighthearted meanings:
- See-No-Evil Monkey (Mizaru): Used when you're embarrassed or can't believe what you just read. "I can't look!"
- Hear-No-Evil Monkey (Kikazaru): Used when you're told a secret you didn't want to know, or when you're "lalala I'm not listening" to bad news.
- Speak-No-Evil Monkey (Iwazaru): The universal "my lips are sealed" or "oops, I shouldn't have said that."
It’s a long way from a sacred stable in Nikkō. We've stripped the spiritual weight and turned them into icons of "cringe" and "secret-keeping."
How to actually apply "Hear See Speak No Evil" today
If you want to move past the emojis and the sarcastic political cartoons, there’s a real way to use this philosophy to improve your life. It's about cognitive hygiene.
1. Audit your visual intake.
Stop doomscrolling. If the content you see every morning before you get out of bed makes you angry or anxious, you are "seeing evil" in the classical sense. You’re letting toxic imagery set the tone for your day. Use the Mizaru approach: just don't look.
2. Filter the noise.
We are surrounded by gossip and outrage. "Hearing no evil" doesn't mean being uninformed about the world; it means refusing to participate in the "outrage of the day" that doesn't actually lead to action. If a conversation is just tearing someone else down, walk away.
3. Practice "The Three Sieves."
There’s an old story often attributed to Socrates (though it's likely apocryphal) that mirrors the monkeys perfectly. Before you speak, ask: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? If it’s not all three, stay like Iwazaru. Keep your mouth shut.
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Beyond the basics
The monkeys also show up in weird places in pop culture. Mahatma Gandhi, famously, had very few worldly possessions, but one of them was a small statue of the three monkeys. He saw them as a reminder to keep his mind clean so he could focus on non-violent resistance.
In the 1968 film Planet of the Apes, there’s a scene where the orangutan judges mimic the "Hear See Speak No Evil" poses during Taylor's trial. It was a biting commentary on the hypocrisy of the state. They were "blind" to the truth because the truth was inconvenient.
This is the power of the symbol. It’s a mirror. If you’re a person of integrity, you see them as a goal. If you’re a cynic, you see them as a warning about the dangers of silence.
Final thoughts on the primates
The hear see speak no evil monkeys aren't just a design for a t-shirt. They are a centuries-old psychological tool disguised as cute animals. Whether you view them as a Buddhist path to purity or a modern warning against ignoring injustice, they force us to think about how we interact with the world around us.
Next time you see that emoji, remember Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru. They aren't just hiding; they are choosing. And in a world that's constantly trying to grab your attention, the power to choose what you see, hear, and say is the only real power you have.
Actionable steps for better mental hygiene
- The 24-Hour News Fast: Try one day a week where you "see no evil" by completely avoiding news sites and social media. Notice how your anxiety levels shift.
- The Gossip Test: Next time someone starts a sentence with "Did you hear about...", pause. If it’s not helpful or kind, politely change the subject.
- Digital Curation: Go through your "Following" list. If an account consistently triggers "evil" (anger, jealousy, or hate), hit unfollow. Your eyes are your own; don't let others rent space in them for free.