How to Read “Gambling is three parts thicker than romance”
Bakuchi wa iro yori sanbu koshi
Meaning of “Gambling is three parts thicker than romance”
This proverb means that gambling has a stronger power to captivate people than romantic love does. Romance can make people lose their reason and become obsessed. But the magic of gambling surpasses even that.
People use this proverb to warn someone who is getting too deep into gambling. They also use it to explain how dangerous betting can be.
We often say that people in love can’t see anything around them. But people possessed by gambling lose even more self-control. This proverb carries that warning.
Even today, gambling addiction is widely recognized as a serious problem. The dream of getting rich quick, the hope that you’ll win it back next time, the thrill of winning—these combine to make people forget their families and jobs.
Time can sometimes heal romantic feelings. But gambling addiction runs much deeper and is harder to escape. This proverb captures that reality in simple terms.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first written appearance of this proverb is unclear. But scholars believe it emerged from common people’s culture during the Edo period.
“Bakuchi” means gambling. “Iro” refers to romantic love and affairs between men and women. The expression “sanbu koshi” (three parts thicker) is particularly interesting.
During the Edo period, gambling was strictly forbidden. Yet people still secretly engaged in betting. Meanwhile, romantic love was also known as something that made people forget themselves.
People compared these two forces. They said gambling was “three parts thicker”—about thirty percent stronger at captivating people.
Why “three parts” specifically? This likely reflects the measurement sensibilities of the Edo period.
Rather than saying “ten percent” or “twenty percent,” using “three parts” showed a subtle difference. It expressed that both forces were almost equally powerful, but gambling was just slightly stronger.
This saying came from common people’s wisdom through calm observation of human desire. It contains a sharp insight into human psychology.
Even romantic love, the strongest emotion, cannot match the magical power of gambling when money is involved.
Usage Examples
- They say “Gambling is three parts thicker than romance,” and it’s true—when someone gets hooked on gambling, they even forget about their lover
- As the old saying goes, “Gambling is three parts thicker than romance”—the addictive nature of betting is more frightening than even romantic love
Universal Wisdom
The universal truth this proverb speaks is that human desires have levels. Romantic love is certainly a powerful emotion.
Throughout history and across cultures, countless stories tell of people who gave their lives for love. But this proverb sees through to something deeper. Desires involving money surpass even love.
Why is gambling stronger than romance? Love involves another person. It has constraints—the other person’s feelings and circumstances.
But gambling is different. There exists only pure desire and the infinite possibility that “next time” will be different.
If you lose, you want to win it back. If you win, you want more. This endless cycle completely captures people.
Thinking more deeply, this proverb also reflects human loneliness. Romance is a relationship with another person. But gambling is ultimately a confrontation between yourself and luck.
Perhaps people immerse themselves more deeply when facing their own desires than when connecting with others.
Our ancestors saw through to human nature. They understood the harsh reality that greed and the gambling instinct control people more powerfully than reason or love.
This wisdom quietly continues to teach us about human fragility and the terror of desire.
When AI Hears This
Dopamine neurons in the brain respond most strongly not when receiving a reward, but to “the gap between prediction and result.” This mechanism is called reward prediction error.
In romance, for example, you predict you’ll be happy seeing your partner. As this prediction proves correct repeatedly, your brain learns to predict that pleasure accurately.
The prediction error approaches zero. Dopamine secretion gradually decreases. In other words, you get used to it.
But gambling is fundamentally different. Each dice roll produces an unpredictable result. You don’t know if you’ll win or lose.
This uncertainty constantly generates large prediction errors in the brain.
Neuroscience experiments confirm something remarkable. Conditions where rewards come with 50 percent probability produce nearly twice the dopamine neuron firing rate compared to conditions where rewards are certain.
Even more interesting is what happens when you lose. The expectation that “I might win next time” creates new prediction error.
Gambling resets with each loss, constantly maintaining uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the reliable joy of romance becomes too predictable for the brain. The stimulation weakens. This proverb captures an irony: human brains are designed to respond more strongly to uncertain expectations than to stable happiness.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of staying alert to addictive things. It’s not just about gambling.
Modern society overflows with things that use intermittent reward mechanisms. Smartphone game purchases, social media “likes,” day trading stocks and forex—all of these.
What matters is regularly reflecting on what you’re obsessed with. Ask yourself if it’s within healthy limits.
If even romance is hard to control, knowing that more powerfully addictive things exist helps you prepare to protect yourself.
Your time, money, and mental energy are limited. You decide what to spend them on. Being passionate about something isn’t bad.
But is it enriching your life or stealing from it? Having the eyes to see that difference is the modern wisdom we should learn from this proverb.
Keep our ancestors’ warning in your heart while managing your desires skillfully. That is the timeless life wisdom this proverb offers us.
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