How to Read “No person is favored for a thousand days, no flower stays red for a hundred days”
Hito ni sennichi no kō naku, hana ni hyakunichi no kurenai nashi
Meaning of “No person is favored for a thousand days, no flower stays red for a hundred days”
This proverb teaches us that popularity and beauty never last forever. Even someone who is deeply loved and praised by many people will not stay popular forever.
Similarly, even the most beautiful flower in full bloom will eventually fade and lose its color.
People use this proverb to remind those at the peak of success to stay humble. It also comforts people whose popularity has declined.
You can also use it to remind yourself that success and praise are temporary. It expresses the Buddhist concept of impermanence—everything that shines now will change with time.
In modern society, we see this truth when celebrities and athletes lose popularity, or when trends quickly fade. These examples show how real this proverb remains today.
Origin and Etymology
The exact source of this proverb is unclear. However, scholars believe it was influenced by ancient Chinese philosophical thought.
The method of using specific numbers like “a thousand days” and “a hundred days” to express impermanence connects to Buddhist and Taoist teachings.
The word “favored” here means receiving goodwill, popularity, and a good reputation from others. A thousand days equals roughly three years.
The proverb shows the harsh reality that even the most popular person cannot maintain glory for three years. Meanwhile, “red” symbolizes the vivid color and beauty of flowers.
A hundred days is about three months. This shows nature’s law that even the most beautiful blooming flower cannot keep its beauty for a hundred days.
What’s interesting is that the proverb assigns different time periods. It gives “a thousand days” to human popularity and “a hundred days” to flower beauty.
This might reflect the different time scales between human activities and natural cycles. Or perhaps it came from observing that human popularity actually lasts longer than flower beauty.
Either way, this numerical contrast gives the proverb its unique rhythm and persuasive power.
Interesting Facts
The numbers “a thousand days” and “a hundred days” in this proverb are metaphorical rather than literal. In Chinese and Japanese classics, large numbers traditionally express “long periods.”
“A thousand” means very many, and “a hundred” also means many. The proverb deliberately uses large numbers to mean “no matter how long it seems to last.”
The word “red” for flower color is also interesting. In Japan, people love even pale-colored flowers like cherry blossoms.
But this proverb specifically mentions vivid red. This choice creates a stronger contrast—even the most striking beauty doesn’t last forever.
Usage Examples
- That person was hugely popular once, but no person is favored for a thousand days, no flower stays red for a hundred days
- I’m getting attention now, but no person is favored for a thousand days, no flower stays red for a hundred days, so I won’t let it go to my head
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down because humans fear change yet cannot avoid it. We all wish that our popularity, status, beauty, and youth would last forever.
But reality shows that everything changes.
Accepting this truth is actually one of the hardest challenges for humans. People at their peak easily fall into the illusion that their state will last forever.
Surrounded by praise and tasting success, people start believing they are special. But our ancestors saw through this human psychology thousands of years ago.
At the same time, this proverb comforts those experiencing decline. Even if popularity has fallen now, the time spent shining had value.
Everything changes, so current hardship isn’t permanent either.
Humans fundamentally seek eternity. That’s exactly why we needed to put the truth of impermanence into words and keep passing it down.
This proverb continues teaching us across time—the wisdom to accept change and the heart to stay humble.
When AI Hears This
The “decline of favor and beauty” shown in this proverb is actually a physical law governing the universe. The law of entropy increase teaches that “order always moves toward disorder.”
Rooms get messy on their own, hot coffee cools down—the same principle works in human relationships.
Here’s where information theory becomes relevant. A person you just met or a flower just beginning to bloom has “high information content.” In other words, unpredictable freshness.
But over time, your brain learns patterns and becomes able to predict. In information theory, predictable things approach zero information content.
You can read your partner’s gestures, familiar flowers no longer catch your eye. This is the physical phenomenon of information decay.
What’s more interesting is that this decay rate is exponential. The loss of freshness in the first ten days is dramatic.
But after a hundred days, the change becomes gradual. The proverb uses specific numbers like “a thousand days” and “a hundred days” perhaps because it empirically captured this decay curve.
In other words, the decline of favor and beauty isn’t weakness of will. It’s an unavoidable physical process where the universe moves toward disorder and information becomes stale.
Maintaining relationships requires continuous energy to inject new information.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches you the importance of cherishing this very moment. Because popularity and beauty don’t last, you should appreciate the shining moment now and keep a humble heart.
In modern society where people chase “likes” on social media and feel happy or sad based on others’ evaluations, this teaching holds special meaning.
Follower counts and view numbers constantly fluctuate. If you base your self-worth too much on these numbers, your heart becomes unstable.
At the same time, this proverb supports you when experiencing failure or setbacks. Even if you’re not getting attention or recognition now, that’s not permanent.
Everything changes, so you don’t need to be trapped by your current situation.
What matters is living with change as a given. When popular, don’t forget gratitude and humility. When popularity falls, believe in the next possibility.
By having such a flexible heart, you can skillfully ride the waves of life.
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