How to Read “After good comes bad”
ii ato wa warui
Meaning of “After good comes bad”
“After good comes bad” teaches that bad things tend to happen after good things, so you should stay careful and not get carried away.
This proverb is used when life is going smoothly and you need to stay alert. When you’re feeling on top of the world after success, when good luck keeps coming and you let your guard down, that’s exactly when pitfalls appear.
Why do we use this expression? Because humans tend to become overconfident when good things continue. We lose focus when we’re happy.
When we’re soaking in joy, we fail to prepare for the next step. This leads to unexpected failures. Our ancestors understood this human tendency well.
Even today, examples are endless. People fail big right after business success. Others harm their health when things are going well.
This proverb teaches the importance of staying humble during fortunate times. It reminds us to prepare for what comes next.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first written appearance of this proverb hasn’t been identified. It likely emerged from the accumulated life wisdom of Japanese people over many generations.
The structure of the phrase is remarkably simple and easy to remember. It uses contrasting words “good” and “bad” connected by “after,” expressing the inevitability of change in life.
The background of this expression likely reflects the view of nature in Japanese agricultural culture. A year of good harvest is followed by poor harvest. Sunny days are always followed by rain.
Nature constantly cycles, and no single state lasts forever. This experiential knowledge was cultivated through people’s daily lives.
Buddhist philosophy also likely influenced this proverb’s formation. The concept of “impermanence” teaches that everything constantly changes. This worldview runs deep in Japanese spirituality.
The recognition that neither good nor bad states last forever is fundamental to the Japanese mindset.
While this proverb carries a warning, it also contains hope. You can read it in reverse: after bad comes good. It has been passed down as wisdom for accepting life’s ups and downs.
Usage Examples
- I won the lottery and got carried away, then just as “after good comes bad” suggests, I fell victim to a scam
- I’m happy about my promotion, but I need to stay focused because after good comes bad
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “After good comes bad” has been passed down because it points to a fundamental weakness in human psychology.
We humans unconsciously assume “this state will last forever” when good things happen. Joy dulls our judgment. Success breeds complacency.
When wrapped in happiness, our brains relax their vigilance. We underestimate risks. This has been human nature since ancient times.
This proverb reveals an even deeper truth about the essential nature of the world. Everything changes, and nothing can remain the same forever.
Where there are mountains, there are valleys. High tide is followed by low tide. This is nature’s law, and life is no exception.
Our ancestors taught the importance of accepting and preparing for this law of change, not fearing it. Good times come, bad times come.
That’s why we prepare during smooth times and maintain humility. They understood this wisdom gives us strength to overcome life’s rough waves.
This proverb isn’t just a warning. It’s a profound insight teaching us to understand life’s waves and live with balance.
When AI Hears This
A good state is actually a “low entropy state” from a physical perspective—an extremely rare arrangement. Consider a neatly organized room.
There are countless ways to arrange objects, but only a handful feel “organized” to us. With 100 items, the number of arrangements is astronomical.
Yet arrangements we call “tidy” are less than 0.00001 percent of all possibilities.
The law of entropy increase teaches that systems naturally move toward “disordered states” that are statistically overwhelming. The shift from good to bad is like finally rolling numbers other than one after rolling ones repeatedly.
It’s a statistically inevitable outcome.
What’s more interesting is that maintaining a good state requires continuous external energy input. Just as a refrigerator warms without electricity, relationships and work results deteriorate without conscious effort—without “energy investment.”
This proverb is evidence that humans experientially grasped the universe’s fundamental nature: “things scatter if left alone.” A good state is a miraculous balance that defies physical laws.
Its collapse simply follows nature’s principles.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern you is the importance of thinking about your next move precisely when you succeed.
Modern society changes rapidly. Today’s success doesn’t guarantee tomorrow’s. Projects praised on social media and companies with soaring stock prices can change in an instant.
That’s why staying calm during smooth times and never neglecting risk management is essential.
Specifically, take time to reflect when you get good results. Why did it work? Is this success repeatable? Are there overlooked risks?
These questions become shields preventing your next failure.
This proverb also teaches the value of humility. Don’t think success is yours alone. Appreciate luck and support from others.
That humility prevents failures from overconfidence and opens paths to further growth.
Enjoy fortunate moments wholeheartedly, but don’t drown in that joy. This sense of balance is the key to enriching your life.
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