How to Read “尻馬に乗る”
Shiriuma ni noru
Meaning of “尻馬に乗る”
“Ride buttocks horse” means to act by following others’ opinions or actions directly without having one’s own thoughts or judgment.
This proverb is used to critically express situations where one loses independence and blindly follows others. It doesn’t simply refer to following people, but specifically points to acts of easily imitating others or jumping on trends without thinking “why do this” or “is this correct.”
As for usage situations, it’s employed when seeing someone agree with others’ opinions without deep thought, or side with the majority without basis. The reason for using this expression is to point out the rashness and danger of such behavior.
In modern times, acts like jumping on things trending on social media or believing celebrities’ statements as-is can also be expressed as “Ride buttocks horse.” This proverb is an expression that teaches us the importance of always thinking with our own heads and making independent judgments.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Ride buttocks horse” comes from an expression born from actual horse behavior. Horses are animals that act in herds, and when the lead horse starts moving, the horses behind follow by chasing the buttocks of the horse in front of them. At this time, the following horses completely depend on the judgment of the horse ahead, and simply chase after the front horse without thinking about the route themselves.
This behavioral pattern of horses was compared to human behavior, and became established as a proverb meaning “to follow behind others” and “to imitate people.” Since this expression can be found in Edo period literature, it’s thought to have been used from quite ancient times.
What’s particularly interesting is that this expression doesn’t just represent mere “following,” but strongly carries the implication of “without having one’s own will or judgment.” The way horses blindly follow while only being able to see the buttocks of the horse in front accurately expresses humans’ state of stopped thinking.
People of old observed animal behavior well and had the insight to see through to the essence of human behavior from there. “Ride buttocks horse” can be said to be an expression that tells the story of exactly that sharpness of observational eye.
Interesting Facts
Horses actually have a field of vision of nearly 350 degrees and can see almost all directions. Yet when moving in herds, they only look at the buttocks of the horse in front and follow because they have an instinct to prioritize the unity of the herd for safety.
What’s interesting about the expression “buttocks horse” is that it uses the somewhat humorous body part of “buttocks.” This effectively expresses the ridiculousness of blindly following behavior.
Usage Examples
- It’s dangerous to ride buttocks horse just because everyone started investing
- He always rides buttocks horse with his boss and doesn’t express his own opinions
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the phenomenon of “Ride buttocks horse” is accelerating like never before. With the spread of social media, the speed of information dissemination has dramatically increased, and situations where many people share information or jump on trends without sufficient verification have become commonplace.
Particularly in the world of influencer marketing, phenomena where people rush to products or services introduced by celebrities are frequently seen. This can be said to be exactly modern-day “Ride buttocks horse” behavior. Also in the investment world, there are increasing numbers of people making investment decisions based only on topicality without deep understanding, such as cryptocurrency booms and meme stock investments.
On the other hand, considering the complexity of modern society, judging everything by oneself isn’t realistic. Following experts’ opinions and referring to trustworthy information sources is necessary. The problem is following simply because something is popular, without thinking “why do I trust that person’s opinion” or “what is the basis for that information.”
In modern times, the dangers of “Ride buttocks horse” have increased. The spread of fake news, participation in fraudulent investment schemes, practicing unfounded health methods – the consequences may affect not just individuals but society as a whole. That’s exactly why the lesson this proverb shows is more important than ever.
When AI Hears This
During the Edo period, when someone followed behind a horse procession, others would join in one after another without understanding why—a phenomenon remarkably similar to how “likes” and retweets flood viral posts on modern social media.
According to psychologist Robert Cialdini’s “principle of social proof,” people use others’ behavior as a guide for correct action in uncertain situations. When we see information being shared by many people on our social media timelines, we tend to judge it as “probably correct since everyone’s doing it” without deeply examining the content. In fact, research shows that posts with many existing “likes” spread 32% more than those without.
What’s uniquely modern is the psychology of “FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).” This refers to the fear of being left behind, where anxiety about missing trends drives our behavior. While social pressure in the Edo period was limited to villages or neighborhoods, FOMO has become dramatically stronger on social media because we can instantly see global trends.
What’s fascinating is how algorithms cleverly exploit this psychology. Displays like “○○ people are watching” or “trending now” are precisely designed mechanisms to trigger modern-day bandwagon behavior.
Lessons for Today
“Ride buttocks horse” teaches us the importance of thinking with our own heads. But this doesn’t mean “don’t listen to people’s opinions.” Rather, it’s important to develop the habit of thinking “why do I trust that person’s opinion” and “what basis does that judgment have.”
In modern society, information overflows and there are countless choices. It’s impossible to judge everything from scratch by yourself, and utilizing experts’ knowledge is wise. What’s important is understanding the difference between “thinking and following” and “blindly following.”
When you choose something, try stopping once to think “why am I choosing this?” If the reason is only because it’s trendy, because everyone’s doing it, or because a famous person said it, you might need to be a little careful.
But you don’t need to be perfect. Sometimes you’ll make wrong judgments. Even so, the experience of thinking and choosing in your own way will surely develop your judgment ability. Avoiding “Ride buttocks horse” while humbly learning others’ wisdom. Finding that balance might be the challenge for us living in modern times.
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