How to Read “Merchants and folding screens cannot stand unless they bend”
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Meaning of “Merchants and folding screens cannot stand unless they bend”
This proverb means that merchants must be flexible to succeed. They need to adapt to changing times and situations.
In business, being too stubborn doesn’t work. If you stick to your own ideas too much, you can’t meet customer needs. You can’t keep up with changes in the market.
A folding screen falls over if it’s straight. The same thing happens to stubborn merchants. They can’t survive in business.
Sometimes you need to listen to what customers want. Sometimes you need to go with the flow of the times. When you change your approach flexibly, your business becomes stable and successful.
This doesn’t mean giving up your beliefs. It means keeping your core values while changing how you do things. That’s true wisdom.
Today, people use this saying in business situations. It reminds us that being too rigid leads to failure. Flexibility is important for success.
Business owners especially hear this message. It teaches them to adapt to change. That’s the key to doing well in any business.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records show exactly where this proverb came from. But it probably started during the Edo period in merchant culture.
The “folding screen” comparison is really clever. A folding screen is traditional Japanese furniture. If you try to stand it up straight, it falls over.
But when you bend it at the folds, it stands up by itself. This physical feature perfectly matches how merchants need to live.
During the Edo period, merchants ranked below the warrior class. But they actually controlled the economy. They had real power through money.
These merchants had to be flexible. They adjusted to what rulers wanted. They listened to customer demands. Sometimes they had to bend their own opinions to make business work.
Stubborn merchants who only pushed their own ideas lost customers. Their businesses failed. They couldn’t survive.
The word “bend” has a positive meaning here. It’s not just about giving in. It means having flexibility to change with the situation.
A folding screen creates beautiful space by bending. Merchants create success by being flexible. This proverb captures that merchant wisdom perfectly.
The comparison is so smart that people have remembered it for hundreds of years. That’s why it’s still used today.
Interesting Facts
Folding screens have been important in Japanese homes since the Heian period. That’s over a thousand years ago!
The character for “byōbu” (screen) includes a part that means “to block.” Screens block wind and people’s view. But by bending, they divide space softly.
Unlike a straight wall, a curved screen doesn’t feel heavy or oppressive. Instead, it creates an elegant space. The curves make rooms feel more comfortable.
This proverb uses a negative form: “cannot stand.” This was common in Edo period speech. People taught positive lessons using negative words.
This style made sayings easier to remember. It also added a touch of humor. That’s why the proverb sounds interesting and sticks in your mind.
Usage Examples
- I kept rejecting new ideas right away. But “Merchants and folding screens cannot stand unless they bend,” so I’ll try to think more flexibly.
- That company president succeeded because he practiced “Merchants and folding screens cannot stand unless they bend.” He changed his business to match the times.
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has lasted because it understands what real strength means. We often think being straight and unmovable is strength. But actually, flexibility is the key to survival.
Look at nature. When a typhoon comes, hard trees break. But bamboo and willow trees bend with the wind. They survive by being flexible.
Human society works the same way. People who refuse to change get swept away. People who stick only to their own ideas can’t handle big changes.
But people who read situations and adapt flexibly find a way forward. They succeed in any environment.
Here’s the important part: “bending” is different from “breaking.” A folding screen bends but doesn’t lose its purpose. In fact, bending makes it more stable and beautiful.
People are the same. You can keep your core values while changing how you express them. You can change your methods while keeping what matters most. That’s real strength.
This proverb shows the balance between pride and flexibility. That’s a challenge humans always face. It explains this deep idea with a simple comparison.
That’s why it still touches people’s hearts today. The wisdom works in any time period.
When AI Hears This
Trying to stand up a flat board is actually really unstable. In engineering, there’s something called “buckling.” When you push down on a tall, thin structure, it suddenly bends sideways and collapses.
A mathematician named Euler created a formula for this. It shows that the taller something is, the less weight it can hold. The relationship isn’t even linear—it gets much weaker very quickly.
But folding screens are different. The zigzag structure creates a series of triangles. Triangles are the strongest geometric shape because they don’t deform easily.
Bridges and towers use triangle structures called trusses. They’re super strong. The panels of a folding screen support each other at angles. They spread out sideways forces.
A flat board would fall over from certain forces. But a bent screen has multiple support points. It catches the load and sends the force efficiently down to the ground.
Even more interesting: there’s an optimal bending angle. If the angle is too shallow, the base gets too wide and unstable. If it’s too sharp, it acts like a flat board and buckles easily.
Real folding screens usually bend at 120 to 150 degrees. This range balances stability with saving space. It’s the perfect engineering solution.
When merchants compromise sometimes, it’s not weakness. It’s structural wisdom. A rigid position breaks easily under outside pressure.
But bending appropriately lets you deflect force. As a result, you can stand for a long time. This is a survival strategy that physics itself teaches us.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches you not to fear change. Instead, make change your friend. Use it to help you grow.
Modern society changes faster than ever before. What was right yesterday might be wrong today. That happens all the time now.
In this kind of world, you need flexibility. Keep your core values. But change how you express them. Change the methods you use to reach your goals.
When someone suggests a new way at work or school, try to understand why. Don’t reject it immediately. Ask yourself, “Why is this needed?”
Try accepting new ideas first. Give them a chance. This opens up new possibilities for you. It helps you grow.
But this doesn’t mean accepting everything blindly. Like a folding screen that bends just right, you should keep your center. Stay true to yourself while adapting to situations.
The important thing is your attitude. See change as a chance to grow. Stay positive about new experiences.
Flexibility isn’t weakness. It’s actually your strongest weapon. It helps you live as yourself in any situation. It helps you thrive no matter what happens.
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