How to Read “Human kindness exists while you’re in the world”
Hito no nasake wa yo ni aru toki
Meaning of “Human kindness exists while you’re in the world”
This proverb teaches that kindness and favors from others have real meaning only while those people are alive. No matter how grateful you feel, you can’t directly express those feelings once someone has passed away.
This saying is used when people delay expressing gratitude to important people in their lives. It also applies when someone puts off repaying kindness they’ve received.
The proverb warns that while you think “I’ll repay them someday” or “I’ll express my thanks later,” you might lose that opportunity forever.
In modern life, we often forget to thank those close to us because we’re so busy. We take support from parents, teachers, and friends for granted. We put off saying thank you.
This proverb reminds us how important it is to cherish relationships right now. It tells us to express gratitude and repay kindness in this very moment.
Origin and Etymology
The exact source of this proverb is unclear, but its structure offers interesting insights. “Yo ni aru toki” is an old Japanese expression meaning “while alive.”
“Yo ni aru” means “to exist in this world.” It refers to the state of having life.
The background of this expression connects deeply to traditional Japanese views on human relationships. In Japanese society before the Edo period, connections between people formed the foundation of life.
People helped each other in times of trouble. When someone received a favor, they returned it. This spirit of mutual aid was essential for maintaining the community.
The word “nasake” deserves special attention. It doesn’t just mean sympathy. It refers to compassion and all forms of kindness toward others.
This proverb expresses the idea that kindness received from someone has value and meaning only while that person is alive.
Even if you express gratitude at someone’s grave after they die, it won’t reach them. Only while living now can you feel human warmth and repay kindness.
Our ancestors expressed this obvious yet easily forgotten truth in simple words.
Usage Examples
- When I heard my former teacher was hospitalized, I thought “Human kindness exists while you’re in the world” and decided to visit right away
- I decided to be good to my father while he’s healthy, because “Human kindness exists while you’re in the world”
Universal Wisdom
The universal truth shown by “Human kindness exists while you’re in the world” is about human mortality and the preciousness of this moment. We understand this intellectually, yet somewhere in our hearts we assume important people will always be with us.
We fall into the illusion that we can express gratitude tomorrow, next year, or anytime. This illusion might be a necessary defense mechanism for living.
If we constantly thought about separation, we couldn’t live peacefully day to day. But at the same time, this illusion can steal precious opportunities from us.
Our ancestors understood this human nature deeply. That’s why they tried to convey the importance of “now” in simple words.
Gratitude, repaying kindness, and expressing love all have meaning only now, while the other person is alive.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because many people have experienced the regret of “I should have told them sooner.” People realize the preciousness of ordinary days only after losing them.
They pass this wisdom to the next generation, hoping they won’t have the same regrets.
No matter how times change, this truth remains constant as long as humans are mortal beings.
When AI Hears This
In network theory, we measure how important a person is using an indicator called “centrality.” Particularly interesting is “betweenness centrality.”
This quantifies whether Person B sits on the shortest route connecting Person A and Person C. For example, a department manager connects the CEO and frontline workers. Information and consultations flow through him. This means high betweenness centrality.
But this number has a surprising characteristic. The moment that person’s position changes, the entire network recalculates. The shortest paths get rewritten all at once.
When the manager gets demoted, people immediately start looking for alternative routes. In graph theory calculations, going through the current manager has “lower cost” than going through the former manager.
This isn’t human coldness. It’s a phenomenon automatically generated by network structure.
What’s more important is that this recalculation happens in a chain reaction. When one person’s centrality drops, the centrality of people connected to them also drops. The entire flow of information changes.
Like a river avoiding one rock and creating a new channel, the invisible network of human relationships automatically optimizes itself based on power and resource distribution.
This proverb captured this cold self-organization of networks through experiential wisdom.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is the courage not to postpone gratitude and action. We tend to put off important things with words like “someday” or “eventually.”
But this proverb gently yet firmly tells us that “someday” might never come.
There’s something you can do today. Call someone who helped you. Tell your parents thank you. Send a message to a friend saying “I appreciate you.”
These are all small actions, but their accumulation creates a life without regrets.
In modern society, we can easily connect through social media. Yet meaningful heart-to-heart exchanges may be decreasing. That’s why this proverb’s teaching is more important than ever.
Don’t just give digital “likes.” Value direct expressions of gratitude.
You don’t need to wait for the perfect timing. This very moment is the best time to express thanks.
Human kindness exists while you’re in the world. Keep these words in your heart and start cherishing time with important people today.
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