How to Read “人間万事塞翁が馬”
Ningen banji saiou ga uma
Meaning of “人間万事塞翁が馬”
This proverb means that happiness and misfortune in life are unpredictable, and events that appear unfortunate may later bring happiness, while conversely, events that seem fortunate may become the source of disaster.
In other words, it teaches the importance of not being overly elated or dejected by immediate events, but taking a long-term view of things. There’s no need to despair when struck by misfortune, and one shouldn’t become complacent when blessed with good luck. Everyone experiences ups and downs in life, and one cannot judge their entire life based solely on the circumstances of any given moment.
This proverb is mainly used when comforting people facing difficulties or failures, or when cautioning those who are carried away by success. It offers hope by suggesting “though things may be difficult now, they might lead to good results in the future,” or provides a warning that “one shouldn’t be satisfied with current success but should remain cautious.” Even today, people are often encouraged with these words when facing job change failures, exam failures, business setbacks, and similar situations.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Human affairs all things Sai Weng’s horse” lies in a story recorded in the “Human Training” section of the ancient Chinese classic “Huainanzi.” The setting of this story is the frontier region of northern China, with an old man as the protagonist.
One day, the old man’s horse escaped to the land of Hu. When neighbors came to console him, the old man said, “This might become a blessing.” Several months later, the escaped horse returned bringing with it fine horses from Hu. When people came to congratulate him, the old man replied, “This might become a disaster.”
When the old man’s son was riding one of these fine horses, he fell and broke his leg. When people expressed sympathy, the old man again said, “This might become a blessing.” A year later, the Hu invaded and war began. All healthy young men were drafted to the battlefield and many lost their lives, but the son, who had injured his leg, was exempted from military service and survived safely.
The proverb born from this story was transmitted to Japan over time and became established as “Human affairs all things Sai Weng’s horse.” “Sai Weng” means an old man from the frontier and refers to the protagonist of this story.
Interesting Facts
The “horse” that appears in this proverb was extremely valuable property in ancient China. Horses from Hu were particularly excellent, and one horse was said to be worth as much as an entire house. Therefore, losing a horse was a major loss equivalent to having a luxury car stolen in modern times.
The word “ningen” (human) is read as “ningen” in modern times, but in this proverb it can also be read as “jinkan.” This is an old reading meaning “the human world” or “society,” referring not to individuals but to human society as a whole.
Usage Examples
- I failed the entrance exam, but since Human affairs all things Sai Weng’s horse, something good must be waiting.
- I’m excited about my promotion, but Human affairs all things Sai Weng’s horse, so I should stay focused.
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, we may have entered an era where the meaning of this proverb can be felt more deeply. With the spread of social media, we have dramatically more opportunities to witness others’ success and happiness. At the same time, our own failures and misfortunes can potentially be spread instantly.
The rapid development of technology can be said to be a modern version of “Sai Weng’s horse.” While some people lose their jobs due to the emergence of AI, others find new opportunities for activity in new fields. The unprecedented disaster of the COVID pandemic also brought unexpected benefits such as the spread of remote work and diversification of working styles.
However, modern people tend to demand immediate results and are prone to being overly elated or dejected by short-term outcomes. They are often swayed by immediate numbers such as stock price fluctuations, the number of “likes” on social media, and job hunting results.
Moreover, precisely because we live in an age of information overload, anxiety about the future has also increased. Many people worry, “Is this choice correct?” or “Will this current misfortune continue?” It is precisely because of such times that the importance of maintaining a long-term perspective is being rerecognized.
In modern times, it’s also familiar through the expression “failure is the mother of success” and is used in contexts that inspire entrepreneurial spirit and a challenging attitude.
When AI Hears This
“Every human affair is like Sai Weng’s horse” reveals a remarkable insight that identified human judgment errors over 2,000 years before modern cognitive bias research brought them to light.
According to research by Harvard Professor Daniel Gilbert, people predict that both the joy from good events and the sadness from bad events will last 1.5 to 2 times longer than they actually do. This is called “impact bias.” A famous experiment found that when lottery winners and people who became paraplegic from accidents were surveyed a year later, there was virtually no difference in their happiness levels.
Even more fascinating is the “underestimation of adaptive capacity.” When facing difficulties, people tend to feel “I’ll never recover from this,” but our actual resilience far exceeds our expectations. Research shows that recovery from events like job loss, divorce, or illness happens on average 40% faster than the people experiencing them predict.
In the Sai Weng parable, while everyone around him was caught up in emotional highs and lows, only the old man remained calm—precisely because he wasn’t trapped by these cognitive biases. Ancient Chinese thinkers had already grasped through experience and observation what modern science has proven: “humans are poor at predicting emotions” and “we underestimate our adaptive capacity.” It’s no coincidence that Eastern wisdom and Western empirical science reached the same conclusions about the essence of human psychology.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is a hopeful message that “the current situation is not everything.” No matter how difficult your current situation may be, it is merely one scene in your life. Conversely, even when you’re in a smooth period, it’s important not to become complacent but to continue preparing for what’s next.
In modern society, we tend to compare ourselves with others on social media or become impatient with short-term results, but life is like a marathon. Rather than worrying about your position along the way, it’s important to continue running at your own pace until the end. When you fail, accept it as “this too is experience,” and when you succeed, brace yourself thinking “this is where it really begins.”
And above all, maintain the composure to enjoy unexpected developments. The interesting thing about life might be that it doesn’t go according to plan. Like Sai Weng’s old man, accepting what happens while quietly waiting for the next development – if you have such mental composure, you should be able to move forward positively in any situation.
Surely wonderful moments of “Sai Weng’s horse” are waiting in your life too.
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