How to Read “What you have is borrowed money, what you don’t have is gold”
Aru wa shakusen, nai wa kane
Meaning of “What you have is borrowed money, what you don’t have is gold”
“What you have is borrowed money, what you don’t have is gold” means that when you have debt, you may look wealthy with money in hand. But after repaying it, nothing remains.
The state of having no debt is actually your true wealth. Money borrowed may make you temporarily prosperous, but that’s just an illusion of wealth. Since you must repay it, you essentially own nothing.
This proverb is used when seeing someone living large on borrowed money. It warns people who want to borrow beyond their means just to keep up appearances.
It also reminds us that money saved through steady effort is real wealth. Even today, credit cards and loans may boost your buying power temporarily. But after repayment, nothing is left.
This saying teaches us the emptiness of debt and the importance of living within our means.
Origin and Etymology
The exact origin of this proverb is unclear. However, it likely emerged from the everyday experiences of common people during the Edo period.
The saying probably spread among merchants and craftsmen as an ironic expression about the reality of debt.
The structure of the phrase is quite clever. It contrasts two opposite states: “having” and “not having.” It pairs them with “borrowed money” and “gold” respectively.
When you have debt, you seem to have money to spend freely. But after repaying it, nothing remains. Meanwhile, the state of having no debt is true wealth. This paradoxical truth is brilliantly expressed.
The Edo period saw commercial development flourish. Credit sales and borrowing became common in daily life. People witnessed the contrast between those who borrowed to show off and those who lived modestly.
Against this social backdrop, this sharp observation about debt’s emptiness and debt-free living’s value resonated with people. The phrase has a light, memorable rhythm. It has been passed down as folk wisdom through generations.
Usage Examples
- He borrowed money to buy a luxury car, but “what you have is borrowed money, what you don’t have is gold”—in the end, nothing remained
- After paying off my loan with my bonus, my bank account looks sad, but “what you have is borrowed money, what you don’t have is gold,” so I feel great
Universal Wisdom
“What you have is borrowed money, what you don’t have is gold” has endured because it perfectly captures human desire and the self-deception that comes with it.
Everyone seeks immediate wealth. When you have money in hand, even if borrowed, you feel temporarily satisfied. But this satisfaction contains a major trap.
You’re merely borrowing from your future, yet you fall into the illusion that you’ve become wealthy. This illusion reveals the essence of human weakness.
We see only the present reality and turn away from the truth of debt lurking behind it. The desire to show off and have things now clouds our judgment.
At the same time, this proverb teaches the value of “not having.” Even if you seem to own nothing, being debt-free means true freedom.
Not being bound to anyone, not burdening your future—this is the paradoxical truth of real wealth. In a society chasing material abundance, this is wisdom we must constantly remember.
Our ancestors packed into these few words the importance of seeing through appearances and grasping the essence of things.
When AI Hears This
A person with debt has a strong connection to creditors through “repayment obligations.” This is a low-entropy state in thermodynamic terms—a highly organized state.
Monthly payment dates, interest calculations, interactions with creditors. All of these require continuous energy to maintain “order.” Just as keeping a room clean requires daily cleaning, maintaining debt relationships demands constant mental energy investment.
Meanwhile, a penniless person has no relationships to maintain. This is a complete high-entropy state. As a universal law, entropy naturally increases.
Order inevitably collapses into chaos if left alone, but chaos can exist stably as is. Being penniless is precisely “a stable state that requires no effort to maintain.”
Interestingly, debt as a negative asset actually contains more “information” than zero. Who is the creditor? How much is owed? What’s the repayment plan?
This information binds a person to specific behavior patterns. In contrast, being penniless contains no information, and therefore offers freedom.
This proverb brilliantly depicts the principles governing the universe—the cost of maintaining order and the stability of chaos—on the stage of economics.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us the importance of developing eyes that can discern what true wealth really is.
In modern society, the barriers to debt have become remarkably low. Credit cards, loans, installment plans—they’re everywhere. In an era when one click gets you what you want, the teaching of “what you have is borrowed money, what you don’t have is gold” carries even more weight.
What matters is being conscious of whether the money in your hand is truly yours or borrowed from your future. You don’t need to panic seeing others’ glamorous lives on social media. That shine might be a facade built on debt.
Instead, enjoy a life that fits your means with money you’ve steadily saved. There’s freedom in that—freedom from being bound to anyone.
No anxiety about chasing payments, no burden placed on your future self. Such a steady way of living leads to the richest life in the long run.
Is the wealth in your hands real? Or is it borrowed? Stop occasionally and ask yourself this question.
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