How to Read “What’s in fashion will go out of fashion”
Ryūkōmono wa hayarimono
Meaning of “What’s in fashion will go out of fashion”
“What’s in fashion will go out of fashion” means that whatever is popular now will eventually fade away.
Even things that many people are crazy about today will lose their appeal over time. People’s interest will fade, and eventually these trends will be forgotten.
This proverb warns against getting swept up in trends. It’s used when pointing out the danger of jumping on the latest product or investing heavily in a temporary boom.
It also teaches the emptiness of chasing trends and the importance of recognizing true value.
Today, social media and mass media make trends change even faster. Something everyone talked about yesterday is already considered old today.
In such times, this proverb carries even more weight. It contains the wisdom of our ancestors: don’t get swept away by trends, and don’t lose sight of what truly matters.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first appearance of this proverb in literature is unclear. However, the structure of the words reveals interesting characteristics.
The essence lies in using the paired words “ryūkōmono” (fashionable things) and “sutarimono” (outdated things). “Ryūkō” means to spread temporarily, as the characters suggest “flowing and going.”
“Sutari” means to decline or become obsolete. Some scholars suggest that “hayaru” contains both meanings of “becoming popular” and “becoming obsolete,” making this proverb a clever play on words.
During the Edo period, commerce flourished and fashion and cultural trends emerged one after another. In the townspeople’s culture of Edo especially, new hairstyles, kimono patterns, and kabuki actor popularity changed rapidly.
Against this backdrop, people saw through the true nature of trends. What’s celebrated today is forgotten tomorrow. This proverb expressed this fleeting nature of the world as common wisdom.
The rhythmic quality of the words also helped spread this proverb. The sound of “ryūkōmono wa hayarimono” resembles the seven-five syllable pattern, making it easy to remember and say.
Usage Examples
- That game is proof that what’s in fashion will go out of fashion—nobody plays it anymore
- Since what’s in fashion will go out of fashion, we should think carefully before jumping on this investment boom
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “What’s in fashion will go out of fashion” captures an essential quality of human society. Why do people create trends, then grow tired of them and discard them?
Humans have an instinct to be attracted to new things. Novelty is stimulation and joy. But at the same time, humans are creatures who adapt.
No matter how wonderful something is, if you encounter it every day, the freshness fades. Eventually it becomes ordinary. These two qualities—”thirst for novelty” and “boredom through familiarity”—create the endless cycle of trends rising and falling.
Looking deeper, group psychology drives trends. People want things because everyone has them. They care about topics because everyone’s talking about them.
Humans are social creatures with a desire to belong to groups. Following trends is a way of joining the community of your time.
However, this proverb has been passed down not simply to lament the impermanence of trends. Rather, it teaches the importance of developing eyes that can distinguish between what changes and what endures.
Don’t be confused by superficial trends. Recognize essential value. Our ancestors realized that having such wisdom is the key to living a fulfilling life.
When AI Hears This
In information theory, the value of information depends on “how unpredictable it is to the receiver.” For example, “the sun will rise tomorrow” has zero value, but “a meteor shower will be visible tomorrow” has high value.
In other words, rarity is the essence of information.
When a trend emerges, it has a high signal-to-noise ratio. New fashion or music functions as a strong signal that stands out from the “ordinary” noise around it.
But as the trend spreads, a mathematically interesting phenomenon occurs. The trend itself migrates to the noise side of the environment. Clothes worn by one in ten people are a signal, but clothes worn by eight in ten are merely background noise.
In Shannon’s information theory, the information content of an event is calculated as the logarithm of the inverse of its probability. In other words, as a trend spreads and its prevalence increases, its information content decreases logarithmically.
If rarity at one percent probability becomes fifty percent, the information content drops to about one-sixth.
This reveals the self-destructive mechanism of trends. People are attracted to things with high information value—rare things. But the more people respond to that appeal, the more the rarity itself loses information value as a mathematical necessity.
Trends are destined to begin diluting their own value the moment they succeed.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is the importance of having “eyes that can recognize the real thing.”
Look at your social media timeline. New trends are born every day. What everyone talked about yesterday is already in the past today.
In such dizzying change, what should we value?
Enjoying trends is not a bad thing. Encountering new things enriches life. But if you only chase trends, you might lose sight of what you truly want to value.
What matters is having a perspective that distinguishes trends from essence. Before making a big investment in a temporary boom, think calmly about whether it truly has value for you.
Just because everyone around you is excited doesn’t mean you need to jump in the same way.
Rather, hold onto values that don’t fade even as times change. Have your own axis that isn’t swayed by trends. That’s the message this proverb wants to convey to you today.
Ride the waves of trends, but don’t let them swallow you. Live with that kind of balance.
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