How to Read “昨日は人の身、今日は我が身”
Kinō wa hito no mi, kyō wa waga mi
Meaning of “昨日は人の身、今日は我が身”
This proverb means that the misfortune or disaster that happened to someone else yesterday might befall oneself today.
It expresses that human fate is unpredictable, and misfortune can visit anyone. Rather than thinking “it has nothing to do with me” when seeing others’ misfortune, it teaches that we should maintain a humble attitude thinking “the same thing might happen to me tomorrow.”
This proverb is mainly used when witnessing others’ misfortune or difficulties. When seeing people suffering from accidents, illness, unemployment, disasters, etc., it expresses the mindset of accepting such situations as something that could happen to oneself rather than dismissing them as someone else’s problem. It is also used to encourage sympathy and mutual support for those in need. Even today, this expression is understood as words that demonstrate the importance of compassion in human relationships and a humble attitude toward the uncertainty of fate.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Yesterday was person’s body, today is my body” is believed to have been established as a didactic expression that has been passed down among the Japanese people since ancient times. This proverb is deeply connected to Japan’s sense of impermanence, which was influenced by Buddhist thought.
Buddhism teaches “all things are impermanent,” with the underlying belief that everything continues to change. The Japanese have experienced throughout their long history the reality that human fate is also changeable – a person who is happy today may become unhappy tomorrow, and vice versa.
Particularly in Japan before the Edo period, it was not uncommon for people’s lives to be completely transformed by natural disasters, wars, and epidemics. Even in the samurai world, it frequently happened that families who enjoyed prosperity yesterday would fall into ruin today.
Against this social backdrop, people came to maintain humble feelings of “it might be my turn tomorrow” when seeing others’ misfortune. At the same time, sympathy for those in trouble and the spirit of mutual assistance were also fostered. This proverb is believed to have spread widely among the common people as words expressing such Japanese mentality.
Usage Examples
- After seeing news about a fire in the neighborhood, I thought “Yesterday was person’s body, today is my body,” so I decided to review my disaster preparedness supplies
- Hearing about a friend being laid off, I felt that “Yesterday was person’s body, today is my body” and it made me feel more alert
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of this proverb has become more multi-layered. With the development of the information society, disasters, incidents, and personal misfortunes from around the world now reach us in real time. On social media, someone’s difficult situation is shared daily, dramatically increasing opportunities to experience “Yesterday was person’s body, today is my body.”
Particularly during large-scale events such as pandemics, natural disasters, and economic crises, the truth of this proverb becomes highlighted. With the spread of COVID-19, what was initially “an event in a distant country” quickly became a reality threatening our own lives. Many people probably recognized anew the uncertainty of fate through this experience.
On the other hand, modern society shows a tendency toward individualism and becoming indifferent to others’ misfortunes. However, this could also be said to be why the value of this proverb is being reevaluated. In an era of advancing globalization, where events on the other side of the earth directly affect our lives, the boundary between “person’s body” and “my body” is becoming increasingly blurred.
In modern times, this proverb is understood not only as encouraging sympathy but also as words teaching the importance of risk management and crisis awareness.
When AI Hears This
The “yesterday” and “today” in this proverb don’t actually represent physical time, but rather psychological distance. The human brain processes others’ misfortunes as “distant events” while processing our own misfortunes as “immediate reality.”
According to psychological research, when people imagine others’ pain, the parts of the brain responsible for empathy become active, but the parts that actually feel pain barely respond. In other words, when we hear that a friend broke a bone, we simply think “that’s terrible,” but when we break a bone ourselves, excruciating pain fills our entire mind. It’s the same broken bone, yet to the brain, these are completely different events.
What’s even more fascinating is how this cognitive difference creates a “time illusion.” Others’ misfortunes feel like “something that’s already over,” while our own misfortunes feel like an “eternally continuing present.” For example, we can casually listen to news about a classmate failing a test like it’s “yesterday’s news,” but when we fail a test ourselves, we feel like “life is over.”
This proverb sharply points to the gap between the “subjective time” and “objective time” that humans experience. Others’ problems are automatically “relegated to the past,” while our own problems are forcibly “brought into the present.” By understanding this cognitive mechanism, we might become able to view our own misfortunes more objectively.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us today is the importance of humility and compassion. We might feel envious seeing successful people on social media or feel relieved seeing someone’s misfortune in the news, but in reality, our fates may differ by only a paper-thin margin.
Your peaceful daily life today is never something to be taken for granted. Being healthy and able to work, having your family safe, sleeping under a roof – all of these are actually very precious blessings. This proverb helps us notice such everyday miracles.
And when we encounter people in trouble, if we can extend a helping hand with the feeling “it might be my turn tomorrow” rather than passing by thinking “it has nothing to do with me,” surely the world would become a slightly warmer place. Your small kindness might come back to you in unexpected ways.
This proverb is not meant to stoke anxiety. Rather, it’s a gentle reminder that helps us appreciate the happiness of this moment and cherish our bonds with those around us.
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