How to Read “A person’s declining time is important”
Hito wa ochime ga daiji
Meaning of “A person’s declining time is important”
“A person’s declining time is important” teaches that difficult periods in life hold the greatest significance for a person. Anyone can stay positive when things go well, but true character and ability are tested during adversity.
This proverb encourages people experiencing failure or setbacks. It also helps someone facing difficulties to view this period as a chance for growth rather than wasted time.
During declining times, weaknesses and challenges that were previously invisible become clear. At the same time, truly trustworthy relationships reveal themselves.
These insights are precious lessons that can never be gained during smooth sailing. Even in modern society, many examples exist of people who experienced career setbacks or relationship difficulties, then grew significantly and achieved success.
This proverb teaches the wisdom to accept difficult periods not as mere bad luck to lament, but as important turning points in life to embrace positively.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records document the origin of this proverb, but interesting insights emerge from examining the words themselves.
The term “ochime” originally came from gambling terminology. It referred to dice rolling in an unfavorable direction. From there, it evolved to mean declining fortune in life or falling social status.
The values of Japan’s samurai society likely influenced the birth of this proverb. During prosperous times, a person’s true nature remains hidden.
However, when facing difficulties, their genuine character and capacity become clear. This way of thinking was deeply rooted in the spirit of bushido.
The word “daiji” means more than just “important.” It carries the nuance of “an opportunity to be treasured.” In other words, the teaching suggests not wasting declining times, but treating them as chances to learn and grow.
During the Edo period, merchants also believed that how someone handled business decline revealed their true worth as a merchant. This proverb likely spread beyond the samurai class to become widely accepted among common people.
Usage Examples
- When the company faced bankruptcy, the president said “A person’s declining time is important” and worked alongside employees to rebuild
- To his son who was depressed after failing entrance exams, the father said “A person’s declining time is important”
Universal Wisdom
Human beings are mysterious creatures. When everything goes smoothly, we lose sight of our true selves. During success, we tend to overestimate our abilities, fail to notice support from others, and become arrogant.
However, the moment we enter decline, truths that were previously invisible reveal themselves one after another.
This proverb has been passed down through generations because it captures a universal truth: growth requires trials. Good times spoil people, while hard times strengthen them.
Looking back through history, most people who achieved great things experienced serious setbacks or failures. During their declining times, they faced themselves seriously, learned what they lacked, and deepened as human beings.
This proverb also contains wisdom for understanding the essence of human relationships. The people who gather when you shine differ completely from those who stay by your side during difficulties.
Declining times offer precious opportunities to identify true friends and companions.
Our ancestors did not view life’s difficulties as things to avoid. Rather, they accepted them as necessary processes for humans to grow and acquire true strength.
When AI Hears This
Communication engineering has a paradox: when receiving weak radio waves, the distinction between genuine signals and noise becomes clearest. With strong waves, both real information and surrounding electrical noise get amplified together.
Life’s declining times have the same structure.
Consider human relationships during prosperous times. Around successful people gather those who genuinely care, those seeking profit, and those just happening to be nearby. The powerful signal of “success” attracts all elements equally.
The person themselves cannot easily distinguish between them.
But when decline arrives, the situation transforms completely. Profit-seekers leave first, and those who were just there naturally depart. This is exactly the phenomenon of noise decaying first.
In communication theory, noise is fundamentally unstable and lacks persistence, so it disappears rapidly when signals weaken. Meanwhile, genuine signals—true friends and core abilities—remain even when conditions worsen.
Information theory calls the ratio between signal and noise the S/N ratio. Ironically, in life, precisely when the “absolute value of the signal” drops during declining times, noise disappears faster, improving this S/N ratio.
In other words, this is the moment when what is genuine becomes most clearly visible.
Lessons for Today
Modern society emphasizes success and efficiency so much that we excessively fear failure and stagnation. However, this proverb offers you a different perspective.
If you are currently in a difficult situation, it is not wasted time.
What matters is how you spend your declining time. Rather than blaming yourself or turning away from reality, focus on what becomes visible precisely during this period.
What are your weaknesses? What truly deserves to be valued? Who are your real allies? By seriously confronting these questions, you can become stronger, wiser, and kinder than before.
Also, when others face difficult situations, remember this proverb. By viewing them as being in a growth opportunity rather than pitying them, you can provide more constructive support.
Life has ups and downs. When you are in a valley, consider it a preparation period for climbing the next mountain. The attitude of learning from decline rather than fearing it is what truly strengthens you.
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