How to Read “One who holds a treasure does not walk at night”
Chōhō wo idaku mono wa motte yakō sezu
Meaning of “One who holds a treasure does not walk at night”
This proverb teaches that people who possess valuable things should act carefully and avoid danger.
When you have something precious—treasures, wealth, talent, or status—you must always be aware of the risk of losing it. You should not expose yourself to unnecessary danger.
This saying is often used to encourage humility and caution in successful people or those with exceptional abilities.
It also serves as a warning when someone in a position of handling important information or assets is about to act recklessly.
In modern times, you can understand this as a warning about showing off your success or wealth too much on social media.
Having valuable things is wonderful. But if you carelessly flaunt them, you risk attracting envy or becoming a target for those with bad intentions.
Truly wise people behave modestly and carefully to protect what they have. This is the wisdom this proverb offers.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to come from the ancient Chinese text “Han Feizi.”
“Han Feizi” was written around the 3rd century BCE. It is a major work of Legalist philosophy and contains a passage similar to this proverb.
“Chōhō” means a precious treasure. “Idaku” means to hold or possess something. “Motte” means “with that” or “by means of that.” “Yakō” means walking at night.
So the phrase literally means: a person who possesses a precious treasure does not walk the night roads while carrying it.
In ancient China, night roads were dangerous places where thieves and robbers often attacked travelers.
If people knew you were carrying valuable treasures, you became an even easier target. Therefore, wise people never walked dangerous night roads when carrying important things.
This idea means more than just avoiding physical danger.
It also teaches that people with invisible valuable things—like talent or status—should act carefully without showing off.
This broader wisdom about how to live was passed down to Japan and has been preserved through generations.
Usage Examples
- He landed a huge contract but doesn’t brag to anyone. He must know that one who holds a treasure does not walk at night.
- Just because we developed new technology doesn’t mean we should announce it right away. One who holds a treasure does not walk at night—let’s proceed carefully until we get the patent.
Universal Wisdom
This proverb speaks to a universal truth about two essential aspects of human nature.
First is the instinct to protect what we value. Second is the desire to show it off.
When people work hard to obtain something, they feel a strong urge to have others recognize it.
The desire to share success and be appreciated comes from our nature as social creatures.
But at the same time, valuable things always become objects of others’ envy, jealousy, and sometimes malice.
From ancient times to today, this contradiction has never changed.
The wealthy are targeted. The talented are envied. The successful are pulled down.
Human society has always had this dark side.
That’s why our ancestors realized that true wisdom is the ability to appropriately hide and protect what you have.
This proverb has been passed down through generations because it perfectly captures this fundamental human dilemma.
We want to show what we have, but we also want to protect it.
Balancing these conflicting desires is the secret to living life wisely. This is what our ancestors are teaching us.
When AI Hears This
People with treasures don’t go out at night. This demonstrates a fundamental dilemma in information security.
When you have information worth protecting, you inevitably take defensive actions. But those defensive actions themselves become a signal that says “valuable information is here.”
In communications engineering, meaningful information is called signal, and everything else is noise.
If someone who usually goes out at night suddenly stops, that behavioral change becomes a strong signal to observers.
The message “they’re hiding something” reaches others in a low-noise state. For thieves, finding people who are being cautious is easier than searching for treasure-holders among careless people.
What’s more interesting is the recursive structure of this problem.
Actions to hide treasure leak information. When you realize this and try to “act normal,” your unnatural calmness becomes a signal.
When you try to hide that you’re acting, that effort creates yet another signal.
In information theory, to completely conceal information, you must make the concealment act itself undetectable. But this is theoretically extremely difficult.
In the end, the most effective countermeasure is the choice to “not go out at night in the first place.”
If you have valuable information, limit the situations where you use it.
This is the same in modern confidential information management. Restricting access to important data temporally and spatially is a basic principle.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is that you must not forget humility, especially when you achieve success or good fortune.
In an age where you can share anything on social media, the ability to judge what to show and what to hide becomes a shield that protects you.
You got promoted. Your income increased. You found a wonderful partner.
The desire to share such happy events with someone is natural. But you don’t need to make everything public.
Share your joy only with people who truly matter to you. Stay modest with the general public.
This kind of wisdom makes your happiness last longer.
This doesn’t mean you should become timid. It means having the power to correctly recognize your value and protect it appropriately.
True confidence might be the strength of heart that remains unshaken even without showing off your success.
Move forward quietly but surely, protecting what matters to you. This proverb gently teaches you this way of living.
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