Teach FISH to swim

Insights

Pointless Instruction

The proverb cautions against trying to instruct someone in something they already know instinctively or have mastered. It highlights the absurdity and redundancy of such efforts.

Recognition of Expertise

It underscores the importance of acknowledging the expertise or innate abilities of others. Attempting to teach an expert in their own field not only wastes effort but can also cause offense.

Limits of Pedagogy

The saying implicitly recognizes that teaching has its proper place and audience—imparting knowledge or skills where they are lacking, not where they are inherent or already perfected.

Historical Symbolism

The fish as a symbol of natural aptitude recurs throughout Western literature and fable. Erasmus’s Latin version, 'Piscem natare doces,' connects the proverb to classical antiquity and Renaissance humanism, where it was often cited to ridicule pedantry or misplaced instruction.

Cultural Parallels

Many cultures feature analogous sayings, such as 'teaching your grandmother to suck eggs' or 'carrying coals to Newcastle.' The inclusion of cross-references in the proverb’s tradition—'Teach your father to get children' or 'Teach your grandame to spin'—reflects a universal skepticism about presumptuous or unnecessary teaching.

Psychological Dimensions

Psychologically, the proverb exposes a common social misstep: underestimating another’s experience or expertise. It highlights how well-meaning instruction can become patronizing, provoking resentment or ridicule rather than gratitude.

Rhetorical Devices

Irony

The irony lies in the reversal of roles—the would-be teacher appears foolish for attempting to teach a creature what it is naturally best at, making the saying memorable and subtly humorous.

Metaphor

The fish and swimming metaphor encapsulates the broader concept of inherent skill, using a simple, vivid image to represent an abstract idea.

Antithesis

There is an implied contrast between the teacher's intent and the subject’s innate ability, sharpening the proverb’s caution against superfluous guidance.