How to Read “猫の目”
Neko no me
Meaning of “猫の目”
“Cat’s eye” is a proverb that describes things changing frequently or situations with intense fluctuation.
Just as a cat’s pupils instantly change size and shape depending on lighting conditions, it refers to situations that change constantly according to circumstances and conditions. It is particularly used when changes occur so frequently that they are unpredictable, or when unstable conditions continue. This expression can be applied to various situations, such as weather changes, changes in people’s feelings and attitudes, and fluctuations in social conditions.
The reason this proverb is used is that changes in a cat’s pupils are a familiar and easily understood phenomenon that anyone can observe. There is no more appropriate metaphor for expressing the speed and dramatic nature of change. Even today, it is naturally used to describe unstable and unpredictable situations such as stock price fluctuations, weather forecasts, and changing trends.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of the proverb “Cat’s eye” lies in the characteristic changes of actual cat pupils. Cat pupils have the property of dramatically changing shape according to light intensity, contracting into thin vertical lines in bright places and opening large and round in dark places. This change is particularly pronounced compared to other animals, giving completely different impressions between day and night.
Japanese people have lived closely with cats since ancient times and have carefully observed these pupil changes. Especially during the Edo period, cats became deeply rooted in common people’s lives, and their behaviors and characteristics came to be used in various expressions. Changes in cat pupils occur repeatedly throughout the day, and these changes happen instantly in response to the environment.
This proverb is said to have appeared in literature from the Edo period onward, initially used simply as a metaphor for “something that changes frequently.” Because it was an expression using familiar characteristics of a common animal that anyone could observe, it became widely established among people. Even today, anyone who keeps cats should be able to experience the dramatic nature of these pupil changes.
Interesting Facts
The fact that cat pupils become vertically narrow is actually a characteristic of hunting animals. Vertical pupils are suitable for accurately measuring distance to prey and are considered particularly effective when targeting small prey on the ground.
Traffic lights are sometimes called “Cat’s eye signals,” which is an expression comparing the changing colors of signals to the changes in a cat’s eye. Traffic lights that regularly change from red to yellow to blue are also changing like a cat’s eye, depending on how you look at it.
Usage Examples
- The recent weather has really been like a cat’s eye – it was sunny in the morning but became heavy rain by noon
- His mood changes like a cat’s eye, so it’s difficult to find the right timing to talk to him
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the proverb “Cat’s eye” has become a more familiar and urgent expression than ever before. In our information society, information spreads instantly through news and social media, and public opinion and market trends change as dramatically as a cat’s eye. Stock prices fluctuate by the minute, trends shift within days, and corporate performance varies greatly every quarter.
Particularly with the development of digital technology, the speed of change has accelerated incomparably compared to the Edo period. In online shopping, inventory status changes by the second, and in ride-sharing apps, prices fluctuate in real-time according to demand. These can be called modern versions of the “Cat’s eye” phenomenon.
On the other hand, adapting to these intense changes has become an important skill for modern people. Rather than fearing change, we are required to develop the ability to respond flexibly to situations, just as cats adjust their pupils according to their environment.
With the spread of remote work, working styles have also diversified like a cat’s eye. We have shifted from fixed working methods to an era of choosing optimal forms according to situations. While the intensity of this change sometimes makes us feel tired, it simultaneously provides us with many possibilities and choices.
When AI Hears This
A cat’s pupils respond to changes in light intensity in less than 0.1 seconds, expanding to 9mm in diameter in darkness and contracting to less than 1mm under bright light. This range of change is about three times that of humans, with a pupil area adjustment range of an astounding 80 times. What’s fascinating is how this physiological change speed remarkably matches the pace of information environment changes in modern society.
Social media trends shift every 11 hours on average, stock prices fluctuate by the second, and news cycles completely refresh within 24 hours. Human attention spans have shortened from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8 seconds today, demanding the same “instant adaptation” as a cat’s pupil changes.
Even more noteworthy is that a cat’s pupil adjustment is an unconscious response controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Modern humans similarly respond instantly to smartphone notifications without conscious deliberation, adapting instantaneously to information presented by algorithms. This “unconscious high-speed adaptation” is the true essence of the cat’s eye phenomenon.
However, unlike cats, human society’s changes come with “adaptation fatigue.” A cat’s pupils can change tens of thousands of times without functional decline, but human cognitive abilities deteriorate under information overload, leading to impaired judgment. The saying about “cat’s eyes” may actually hint at the contrast between biological perfection and the adaptive limits of human society.
Lessons for Today
The proverb “Cat’s eye” teaches us how to face change in our modern lives. It shows the importance of accepting change not as something unpleasant, but as a natural response for adapting to our environment.
Just as a cat’s pupils change to the optimal shape according to light, we too can live richer lives by responding flexibly to situations. What’s important is not being swept away by change, but maintaining a consistent personal axis within the change.
In modern society, we sometimes feel tired from being unable to keep up with the speed of change. However, just as a cat’s eye doesn’t change randomly but adjusts as needed, our changes also have meaning. Don’t fear changes that help us adapt to new environments and grow; rather, try to see them as opportunities to expand our possibilities. Precisely because we live in an era of intense change, this old proverb takes on new meaning and encourages us.
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