How to Read “One family’s wealth and honor is a thousand families’ resentment”
Ikka no fūki wa senka no urami
Meaning of “One family’s wealth and honor is a thousand families’ resentment”
This proverb means that when one family gains wealth and prosperity, many people who witness it will resent them.
Getting rich and gaining status seems like a good thing. But it also carries the danger of inviting jealousy and hostility from those around you.
The expression “a thousand families” is especially noteworthy. It shows that one family’s happiness can become the target of dissatisfaction and resentment from many, many others.
This is a warning to the wealthy. It also teaches that you should be humble, especially when you succeed.
Even today, we see rapidly successful companies and individuals become targets of criticism. This proverb captures such situations perfectly.
It conveys wisdom about living in society. When you gain success or wealth, you must not forget to show consideration and gratitude to those around you.
Origin and Etymology
The exact source of this proverb is unclear. However, we can learn from examining how the words are structured.
The contrast between “one family” and “a thousand families” is striking. The word “thousand” here doesn’t mean an exact number. It’s a rhetorical expression meaning “very many.”
“Wealth and honor” combines riches with high social status. This expression shows the influence of ancient Chinese philosophical thought.
In Japan, people have long talked about how difficult it is to gain wealth and position. They’ve also discussed how hard it is to maintain them.
This proverb likely emerged from the concentration of wealth in Japanese society. It reflects people’s complex feelings about that concentration.
When one family prospers, it also means monopolizing limited resources and opportunities. As commerce developed and wealth gaps became more visible, people probably started saying this based on their real experiences.
The use of the strong word “resentment” is also characteristic. It doesn’t just mean envy or jealousy. It expresses deep feelings of hatred.
This may tell us how seriously the unequal distribution of wealth affects society.
Usage Examples
- That company grew rapidly, but as they say, one family’s wealth and honor is a thousand families’ resentment, so they’ll probably face strong criticism from others
- He became successful and started living large, but one family’s wealth and honor is a thousand families’ resentment—his old friends are starting to distance themselves from him
Universal Wisdom
The truth this proverb speaks is about the dual nature of wealth in human society.
Wealth and success are the results of individual effort. At the same time, they strongly stimulate the emotions of others who witness them.
Why can’t people simply rejoice in others’ success? It’s because humans are fundamentally comparative creatures.
We compare ourselves to others and check our relative position. This is how we try to measure our own worth.
When someone gains wealth, it appears as something we didn’t get. This creates a feeling of relative deprivation.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because it captures a universal phenomenon. The concentration of wealth creates tension in society.
The structure where one person’s happiness generates dissatisfaction among many hasn’t changed from ancient times to today.
However, this proverb isn’t simply pessimistic. Rather, it contains deep insight and lessons for those who gain wealth.
Be humble when you succeed. Don’t monopolize wealth but share it. This is the wisdom of our ancestors.
Understanding human jealousy and showing consideration for it is the mark of a true success. That’s what this proverb teaches.
When AI Hears This
The phenomenon where one family’s wealth causes a thousand families to resent them comes from a cognitive trap. The human brain perceives wealth as “fighting over a limited pie.”
In reality, the economic pie as a whole grows. But human intuition calculates it as a zero-sum game. If someone gains, someone else must lose.
The amplification rate of this resentment is interesting. When one family becomes rich, the surrounding thousand families haven’t actually lost anything.
Yet they feel relatively poorer. This is called relative deprivation.
For example, when your neighbor buys a new car, your car hasn’t changed at all. But suddenly your car looks old. You feel as if something was taken from you.
Psychology research shows this psychological sense of loss generates stronger negative emotions than actual economic loss.
The asymmetry of one versus a thousand is also noteworthy. One family’s joy is one unit. But if each of the thousand families watching feels negative emotions, society as a whole generates a thousand units of negative emotion.
In other words, from the same event, the total amount of negative emotion far exceeds positive emotion. This imbalance in emotional accounting is the structural cause that accumulates resentment toward the wealthy in society.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is that success comes with responsibility.
When you get promoted in your career, succeed in business, or receive some good fortune, don’t enjoy it as yours alone. You must not forget to show consideration to those around you.
Showing off success or flaunting wealth on social media has become easier in modern times. But it’s important to use your imagination. Think about what emotions this might trigger in others.
Humility is not just a virtue. It’s also wisdom that protects you.
At the same time, this proverb is also encouragement for you as you aim for success. You don’t need to stop challenging yourself out of fear of others’ hostility.
Just remember to have gratitude when you succeed. Share your joy with those around you as much as you can. This attitude is the path to sustainable success.
Think of wealth and success not as something to monopolize, but as something to share with society.
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