How to Read “Follow in prosperity, abandon in adversity”
Honoo ni tsuki kan ni sutsu
Meaning of “Follow in prosperity, abandon in adversity”
“Follow in prosperity, abandon in adversity” describes behavior that is opposite to what should be natural. It shows someone staying close to fire when it’s warm, then abandoning it when cold comes.
This proverb warns against selfish and self-centered attitudes.
The proverb points out people who approach others only when it benefits them. They stay close when receiving favors but leave when the other person faces difficulties.
They act friendly while enjoying benefits, then turn cold when the other person struggles. This proverb criticizes such calculating and heartless behavior.
People use this saying when describing someone who changes their attitude based on convenience. It’s also used for self-reflection about one’s own actions.
It works especially well when warning against forgetting gratitude and pursuing only personal gain.
Even today, this proverb remains meaningful. It warns against the tendency to change how we treat people based purely on profit and loss calculations.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the origin of this proverb. However, we can make interesting observations from how the phrase is constructed.
“Follow in prosperity, abandon in adversity” uses fire as its subject. Fire has always been essential for human survival.
In ancient times, fire was the most important way to stay warm. People needed fire to survive winter’s cold.
They gathered around hearths and furnaces to keep warm.
The proverb describes contradictory behavior. It shows someone staying close to fire when warm, then abandoning it when cold comes.
But in reality, fire is needed most when it’s cold. This paradoxical expression is considered the core of the proverb’s meaning.
This likely compares selfish attitudes in relationships to how people relate to fire. Some approach others only when convenient, then leave when no longer needed.
The proverb expresses this selfish human nature using fire, something everyone understands.
Japanese classical moral literature and Buddhist tales often warn about the fickleness of human hearts.
This proverb was probably born as one such moral teaching. It has been passed down through generations to convey this lesson.
Usage Examples
- That person always flattered the president when the company was doing well, but was the first to quit when performance declined. It’s truly “Follow in prosperity, abandon in adversity.”
- When a friend only contacts me during their successful times, I remember the saying “Follow in prosperity, abandon in adversity.”
Universal Wisdom
“Follow in prosperity, abandon in adversity” reveals a universal human weakness: the selfishness hidden in our hearts.
Why was this proverb created and passed down through generations? Because this selfish attitude has repeated itself across all eras.
Everyone seeks comfortable environments. We naturally gather in warm places and want to escape the cold.
This is normal biological instinct. However, the proverb warns against the ugliness that appears when this instinct invades human relationships.
What’s interesting is that the proverb doesn’t describe the natural action of approaching fire when cold. Instead, it describes the unnatural action of approaching fire when warm.
This represents more than simple self-preservation. It shows more cunning calculation.
People approach others only when they have power and offer benefits. They abandon others when they become weak.
This calculating nature is the most despicable attitude in human relationships.
Our ancestors understood this truth. People easily flow toward what’s easy and profitable.
But a person’s true value is tested when others face difficulties. The proverb continues teaching us this life truth through the familiar element of fire.
When AI Hears This
People gathering near flames and fleeing from cold actually embodies the second law of thermodynamics.
This law states that “energy flows one-way from high to low.” It’s an absolute rule of the universe.
Human body temperature is about 36 degrees Celsius. When outside air is 0 degrees in winter, heat energy is constantly stolen from the body every second.
This is physically unavoidable. Meanwhile, flame temperature reaches several hundred degrees.
Approaching it allows heat to flow into the body. Humans instinctively choose “places where energy flow can be controlled.”
Both gathering and leaving are results of physical calculations optimizing energy balance.
What’s interesting is that human relationships shown in this proverb have the same structure.
Powerful and wealthy people exist in a “high energy state.” They can emit benefits as a form of energy to those around them.
People are naturally drawn there. Conversely, struggling people are in a “low energy state.”
Approaching them drains our energy. So people move away.
This cruelly symmetrical pattern shows that human society cannot escape physical laws.
We can say “help people in trouble” with morality and ethics only when we have surplus energy.
At survival’s edge, humans become no different from molecules moving to seek thermal energy.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of “consistency” and “sincerity” in relationships.
In an era where social media makes connections easy, people who change attitudes based on others’ situations stand out more.
They actively engage with people who have many followers. They ignore those who don’t. You’ve probably seen this yourself.
However, truly valuable relationships are born from consistent attitudes unaffected by others’ circumstances.
Treating people the same whether they’re succeeding or facing difficulties creates the foundation of trust.
What matters is having the courage to reflect on your own actions.
Are you unconsciously being kind only to convenient people? Are you dismissing relationships that offer no visible benefit?
This proverb acts like a mirror, questioning your own heart.
In relationships with others, build long-term trust rather than seeking short-term gains.
This ultimately creates a rich network of human relationships that supports you.
Comments