How to Read “Relying on god in times of hardship”
Kurushii toki no kamidanomi
Meaning of “Relying on god in times of hardship”
This proverb describes a common human behavior pattern. Even people who aren’t religious suddenly turn to gods when they face trouble.
These are people who normally never visit shrines. They live their daily lives without any faith or spiritual practice. But when they fall into difficult situations, they suddenly seek help from gods and Buddha.
You see this behavior all the time in modern life. Students who never study suddenly pray before exams. People who ignored their health suddenly pray when they get sick.
People use this expression in two ways. Sometimes they use it to laugh at themselves for being so convenient. Other times they use it to gently criticize others for the same behavior.
The proverb points out human weakness and contradiction. But it doesn’t completely reject this behavior. There’s a tone of tolerance and understanding in it.
Origin and Etymology
The exact origin of this proverb isn’t clear from historical documents. But it has been used for a long time as an expression deeply connected to Japanese religious views.
Throughout Japanese history, gods and Buddha have been close to people’s daily lives. At the same time, people have always shown this contradiction. They have weak faith in normal times but suddenly become devout when facing difficulties.
This proverb likely came from the insights of ancestors who understood this human nature. They observed this pattern and captured it in words.
What’s interesting is that this expression isn’t just criticism. It actually contains understanding of what it means to be human.
People are busy with daily life. They forget about gods and Buddha. But when they face impossible difficulties, they want to rely on something. This proverb captures that desperate feeling calmly and somehow warmly.
The term “kamidanomi” (relying on god) itself comes from traditional Japanese customs. People have long made wishes at shrines and temples. They pray for passing exams, recovering from illness, and business success.
This proverb grew from that cultural soil. It became established as an expression that lightly points out human convenience. It does so with a gentle touch rather than harsh judgment.
Usage Examples
- You never study at all, but now you’re going to pray for passing the exam the day before? That’s totally “relying on god in times of hardship” and way too convenient.
- Praying for health only after getting sick is exactly “relying on god in times of hardship,” but I still went to the shrine because I was desperate enough to grasp at straws.
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down for so long because it criticizes human weakness and contradiction while also understanding it.
Humans are fundamentally full of contradictions. Our emotions don’t catch up even when our reason understands. We know daily preparation is important, but we still neglect it.
And when we face difficulties, we want to rely on things we didn’t even believe in before. This desperation is a human truth that never changes across time.
What’s interesting is that this proverb doesn’t end with just criticism. “Relying on god in times of hardship” certainly points out convenience. But it also contains an understanding that “people still can’t help but rely on something.”
No one is perfect. Everyone is weak. Everyone carries contradictions. Our ancestors looked at this human essence calmly but warmly.
This proverb also raises a deep question: “What is faith?” Daily devotion versus desperate prayers in crisis. Which is real faith? Or are both true aspects of being human?
There’s no single answer. That’s exactly why this proverb has resonated with people for hundreds of years.
When AI Hears This
According to prospect theory, humans feel losses about 2.25 times more strongly than gains. The pain of losing 10,000 yen is more than twice as large as the joy of gaining 10,000 yen.
This asymmetry dramatically changes the rationality of relying on god.
Consider the option of “asking god for help” during normal times. The success probability is nearly zero. It costs time and offering money. For example, the expected value of praying for exam success is almost zero times the value of passing, which equals zero.
So rational people choose studying instead.
But in hardship when failure seems certain, the reference point shifts. It moves from “maintaining the status quo” to “worst-case loss.” When loss aversion bias activates, humans will take low-probability bets to avoid losses.
In Kahneman’s experiment, people compared two options. One was losing 4,000 dollars for sure. The other was an 80% chance of losing 5,000 dollars but a 20% chance of zero loss.
The first option is better in expected value. Yet 92% of people chose the second. Relying on god is exactly this.
When you’re already losing something, even a 1% success rate has value as “better than zero.” So “relying on god in times of hardship” isn’t a product of irrationality. It’s an inevitable behavior produced by human rationality in loss situations.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the importance of accepting human weakness. No one is perfect. Everyone lives conveniently. Everyone wants to rely on something when in trouble.
That’s not shameful. It’s what makes us human.
At the same time, this proverb quietly speaks about the importance of daily preparation. Don’t panic only after hardship comes. Prepare your heart during normal times.
This applies beyond faith. It applies to health, relationships, knowledge, and skills. Small daily accumulations become support when you need it.
However, the real wisdom of this proverb might be not seeking perfection. Almost no one prepares perfectly every day. Still, when trouble comes, we rely on something.
That honesty and desperation is what makes humans human.
Accept your weakness. Have the courage to rely on something sometimes. And when you have room to spare, warmly watch over someone else’s “relying on god in times of hardship.”
If we could live with that kind of tolerance, life might become much easier.
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