Empty vessel
Encyclopedia
The phrase "empty vessel" literally means a container with nothing inside.
It has additional significance in various areas.
, "As empty vessels make the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest blabbers," is from the Greek
philosopher Plato
.
Shakespeare
referred to this proverb in Henry V
and in King Lear
.
, the empty vessel approach is utilized for internal and spiritual training.
Many Asia
n religions and arts
also utilize similar approaches to achieving inner peace
.
In Christianity, the saying may refer to a willing mind ready to receive teaching, or an expectation that God will provide for the poor. The latter refers to a miracle
in the Bible when a poor woman's vessels were filled with valuable oil from a single small container.
and behavior analysis. Worthlessness cannot be measured, but there will be consensus among the participants that the end product does not even come close to the previously desired outcome.
In business
, the "empty vessel approach" can be characterized by lack of leadership and unwillingness for the members to take individual responsibility. Larger corporations with many mid-level managers are more easily trapped in this negative spiral where the company essentially becomes a "meeting company", where most of the employee's time is wasted away in meetings instead of actually making products or providing services.
In the 21st century, with the explosive popularity of the World Wide Web
, domain name
s, and trademark
disputes, it has become important for companies to derive names that are easier to protect. Empty vessel names provide a unique moniker for products and companies that nobody can dispute. Unfortunately, because of this approach, the name usually does not describe the product or company, and is less recognizable at first instance.
It has additional significance in various areas.
In literature
The quotationQuotation
A quotation or quote is the repetition of one expression as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is well-known or explicitly attributed by citation to its original source, and it is indicated by quotation marks.A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any...
, "As empty vessels make the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest blabbers," is from the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
philosopher Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
.
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
referred to this proverb in Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
and in King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
.
Spirituality
In martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, the empty vessel approach is utilized for internal and spiritual training.
Many Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n religions and arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
also utilize similar approaches to achieving inner peace
Inner peace
Inner peace refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress. Being "at peace" is considered by many to be healthy and the opposite of being stressed or anxious...
.
In Christianity, the saying may refer to a willing mind ready to receive teaching, or an expectation that God will provide for the poor. The latter refers to a miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
in the Bible when a poor woman's vessels were filled with valuable oil from a single small container.
Behavioral analysis
Empty vessel or the empty vessel approach is a term describing the negative effects of how one ends up with a worthless outcome when trying to please everyone. The term is more commonly used in psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and behavior analysis. Worthlessness cannot be measured, but there will be consensus among the participants that the end product does not even come close to the previously desired outcome.
In business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, the "empty vessel approach" can be characterized by lack of leadership and unwillingness for the members to take individual responsibility. Larger corporations with many mid-level managers are more easily trapped in this negative spiral where the company essentially becomes a "meeting company", where most of the employee's time is wasted away in meetings instead of actually making products or providing services.
Branding
Empty vessel names are names of products, brands, or even companies that have been conjured up so as not to offend anybody. Usually, these names are not in the dictionary, but rather combinations derived from everyday words that allude to their meaning only by their similarity to the root words.In the 21st century, with the explosive popularity of the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
, domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
s, and trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
disputes, it has become important for companies to derive names that are easier to protect. Empty vessel names provide a unique moniker for products and companies that nobody can dispute. Unfortunately, because of this approach, the name usually does not describe the product or company, and is less recognizable at first instance.