How to Read “Quick to like, quick to tire”
Hayazuki no hayaaki
Meaning of “Quick to like, quick to tire”
“Quick to like, quick to tire” means that people who start things quickly also lose interest quickly.
It describes someone who jumps into new interests immediately and becomes passionate about them. But their enthusiasm doesn’t last long and soon fades away.
This proverb applies to people who start hobbies or lessons one after another but quit halfway through.
It also describes those who fall in love at first sight but can’t maintain long relationships.
People use it when pointing out someone’s tendency to chase trends and new things, only to lose interest quickly.
Even today, this saying accurately captures human behavior patterns.
People who start things impulsively often lack staying power because their decisions are emotional.
When you start something without deep thought, you easily give up when facing difficulties.
This proverb gently yet sharply points out this human weakness.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of “Quick to like, quick to tire.”
However, we can understand how it formed by looking at its structure.
This phrase uses paired expressions: “quick to like” and “quick to tire.”
Japanese has a long tradition of pairing words to express human nature and universal truths.
The word “quick” repeats twice, creating rhythm and making it memorable.
“Liking” is an emotion rooted in human instinct.
Being attracted to something and jumping at it immediately is an impulsive behavior pattern.
People have probably observed this pattern since ancient times.
During the Edo period, town culture featured people sensitive to trends and those trying new hobbies constantly.
This environment likely created the foundation for this proverb.
What’s particularly interesting is that this proverb isn’t mere criticism.
It was born from calm observation of human nature.
Our ancestors passed down this saying as a warning or self-reflection about being quick to heat up and cool down.
These short words contain deep understanding of human nature.
Usage Examples
- He’s quick to like, quick to tire, so even if he buys a new game, he’ll abandon it soon
- I don’t want to be called quick to like, quick to tire, so this time I want to stick with guitar until the end
Universal Wisdom
“Quick to like, quick to tire” has been passed down because it recognizes a universal contradiction between human emotions and actions.
When we encounter something new, our hearts leap with excitement.
That moment of exhilaration is genuine.
However, the strength of that emotion doesn’t necessarily match our power to sustain it.
In fact, there’s an ironic truth: the more intense the initial emotion, the faster it cools down.
Why do people behave this way?
Because starting something and continuing it require completely different kinds of strength.
Passion alone is enough to begin.
But continuing requires patience, planning, and most importantly, deep understanding of “why I’m doing this.”
Things started impulsively lack this deep understanding.
Our ancestors witnessed this human trait repeatedly.
And they realized something important.
Truly valuable things come from slowly growing to like them and understanding them deeply, which allows lasting love.
This proverb teaches us unchanging truth even in our speed-obsessed modern society.
Haste makes waste.
This saying quietly reminds us of the importance of thinking deeply and engaging thoroughly.
When AI Hears This
Dopamine neurons in the brain respond not to rewards themselves but to “differences from predictions.”
For example, if you unexpectedly receive ice cream, massive dopamine releases occur.
But if you receive it daily, expectations rise, and the same ice cream produces almost no dopamine.
This phenomenon is called reward prediction error.
Quickly liking something means setting extremely high expectations from minimal information.
When your brain judges “this hobby is amazing” from just a few good experiences, dopamine neurons expect the same or greater stimulation next time.
However, any object inevitably has ordinary aspects and boring moments.
If expectations are 100 but reality is 70, the brain calculates “minus 30” and dopamine release decreases.
This is the true nature of boredom.
Interestingly, when you slowly grow to like something, expectations rise gradually too.
This means reality falls below expectations less frequently.
If expectations rise step by step from 30 to 40 to 50, the gap with reality stays small and the dopamine system remains stable.
In other words, quick to like, quick to tire is not an emotional problem but a mathematical consequence of the brain’s prediction system.
Whether in romance or hobbies, rapid expectation increases create neuroscientifically unsustainable states.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the value of “the power to wait.”
In an era where information flows instantly on social media and everything is one click away, this lesson shines brighter than ever.
When you want to start something, don’t jump in immediately.
Stop for a moment.
Is this really what you want to do? Why do you want to do it? What difficulties exist?
Taking time to face these questions gives your decision depth.
And if you decide to begin, anticipate when your initial passion cools.
Don’t rely on passion alone. Build it into small habits.
Find companions. Break goals into smaller pieces.
These strategies will support you.
Quickly liking something isn’t bad.
That passion is wonderful fuel.
But to keep that flame burning long, you need the skill of adding firewood.
This proverb doesn’t deny your passion.
It offers wisdom to nurture it carefully.
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