How to Read “Hardship with it, hardship without it”
Attemo kurō, nakutemo kurō
Meaning of “Hardship with it, hardship without it”
This proverb expresses a truth about life. Whether you have something or don’t have it, you’ll face hardship either way.
For example, if you have money, you worry about managing it and investing it. You might face relationship troubles because of it. These are different hardships.
On the other hand, if you don’t have money, you worry about daily expenses. You feel anxious about the future. This is another kind of hardship.
The same applies to status and fame. If you gain them, you face the hardship of responsibility and criticism. If you don’t gain them, you face the hardship of frustration and impatience from not being recognized.
People use this proverb to counter the “grass is greener” mentality. It helps us see reality more clearly.
We often think we’ll be happy once we get something. But this proverb tells us the truth. Life brings hardship in any situation.
Even today, people use this saying when someone chases an ideal state. It shows a realistic perspective. No matter what choice you make, you can’t avoid hardship.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first appearance of this proverb in literature is unclear. However, its structure suggests it came from common people’s lived wisdom.
The proverb contrasts two opposite situations: “with it” and “without it.” Both lead to the same result: “hardship.” This structure captures life’s irony in a simple way.
This expression method connects to the humorous spirit of common people. You can see similar patterns in Edo period senryū and kyōka poetry.
What’s particularly interesting is what the proverb doesn’t say. It never specifies what “it” is. It doesn’t mention “money” or “property” directly.
By keeping the object vague, the proverb becomes versatile. You can apply it to anything: money, status, talent, family, and more.
Japanese traditional values emphasize moderation and balance. But this proverb is slightly different. It contains a sense of resignation or enlightenment.
It says “no matter which you choose, the result is the same.” This reflects Buddhist influence. It echoes the Buddhist view of impermanence and the inevitability of suffering.
The proverb likely arose naturally from common people’s daily experiences. If you have property, you face the hardship of managing it and inheritance issues.
If you don’t have property, you face the hardship of making ends meet. This real-life observation became a natural expression.
Usage Examples
- If you want children, there’s the difficulty of raising them. If you don’t have them, there’s anxiety about old age. It’s hardship with it, hardship without it.
- If you buy a house, there’s the loan and maintenance costs. If you rent, the rent continues forever. It’s truly hardship with it, hardship without it.
Universal Wisdom
The deepest truth this proverb tells us is simple. Humans can never reach a “state without hardship.” This isn’t pessimistic resignation.
Rather, it’s an insight into the essential condition of human existence.
We constantly think “if only I had this” or “if only I didn’t have that.” Money, time, talent, love. But our ancestors noticed something important.
Life is an endless sequence. When you solve one problem, another appears. This never stops.
Why is this a universal truth? Because humans are “beings who desire” and simultaneously “beings who bear responsibility.”
When you possess something, you must protect it and manage it. You fear losing it. When you possess nothing, you feel a thirst to obtain it.
You also struggle with yourself for not having it. In other words, as long as you’re human, you cannot escape this double suffering.
This proverb has been passed down for generations for a reason. It’s not just practical advice. It captures the existential condition of humanity.
In every era and every culture, people live believing “there must be a better state.” But this proverb teaches us gently yet firmly.
A perfect state doesn’t exist. Hardship itself is the essence of life.
When AI Hears This
The human brain releases dopamine not when receiving a reward, but when detecting a gap between prediction and result.
This means winning the lottery brings happiness in that moment. But if that state continues, the brain recognizes it as “normal.” Dopamine secretion returns to its original level.
This happens because of neuroplasticity. Synaptic connections between nerve cells change through experience.
What’s interesting is how fast this adaptation occurs. Research shows lottery winners’ happiness levels return to baseline in about three months to one year.
The nucleus accumbens, the brain’s reward center, doesn’t respond to absolute wealth. It only responds to relative change: “Is this better or worse than last time?”
For example, if your annual income increases from 5 million to 10 million yen, you feel happy only for the first few months.
Eventually, 10 million yen becomes your new baseline. Now you face the hardship of maintaining it.
Conversely, even in poverty, the brain adapts within months. It becomes more sensitive to small joys.
In other words, “Hardship with it, hardship without it” represents the biological mechanism itself. The brain constantly recalibrates the present as zero point.
Happiness isn’t about the amount you possess. It’s just a prediction error signal in the brain. This reveals the fateful structure of human nature.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people something important. Aiming for a “life without hardship” is meaningless. This isn’t resignation. It’s actually liberation.
Modern society values “problem-solving” above all else. Every advertisement promises “this will eliminate your worries.” Social media overflows with “ideal lifestyles.”
But this proverb offers a different perspective. If hardship can’t be eliminated, what matters is which hardship you choose.
If you’re desperately trying to obtain something right now, imagine the hardship after getting it.
Conversely, if you’re troubled by not having something, realize this is also a choice. You’re avoiding a different form of hardship.
What’s important is choosing “meaningful hardship” for yourself. The hardship of raising children, the hardship of work, the hardship of learning.
All are difficult. But if they align with your values, that hardship has meaning.
Don’t try to eliminate hardship from life. Instead, choose the hardship you want to take on.
If you think this way, your life will become more proactive and fulfilling.
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