How to Read “弱り目に祟り目”
Yowari me ni tatari me
Meaning of “弱り目に祟り目”
“Weakened eye to cursed eye” is a proverb that expresses how additional disasters or misfortunes pile up when one is already in trouble or weakened.
This proverb is used to express the accumulation of misfortunes in life. It refers to situations where another problem strikes like a finishing blow when one is already weakened by one problem, such as work troubles occurring when one’s health is poor, or a family member falling ill when one is financially struggling.
In terms of usage, it is often used with feelings of sympathy or comfort when explaining unfortunate situations of oneself or others. It functions as a set phrase to express consecutive misfortunes, as in “This is truly weakened eye to cursed eye.”
The reason for using this expression is that it can convey situations more specifically and impressively than simply saying “bad luck continues.” Also, because it is an expression that has been used since ancient times, it has the effect of being easily understood by listeners and gaining empathy. Even today, it is widely understood and used as words to express difficult periods in life.
Origin and Etymology
“Weakened eye to cursed eye” is said to be an expression that originated among common people during the Edo period. This phrase consists of two elements.
First, “weakened eye” refers to a state where a person is weakened, such as poor health or declining energy. On the other hand, “cursed eye” – the “curse” was a word meaning disaster caused by supernatural forces such as gods, Buddha, or spirits. For people of the Edo period, illness and misfortune were sometimes considered to be caused by the anger of gods and Buddha or the curses of spirits.
The background to this proverb’s establishment lies in the living conditions of common people during the Edo period. With undeveloped medical technology and poor sanitary conditions at the time, recovery was difficult once one’s health deteriorated. In such circumstances, it was not uncommon for additional disasters to pile up when one was already weakened, and people sometimes perceived this as a “curse.”
The word “eye” in this case represents “state” or “condition” in an old usage. It’s used in the same way as “people’s eyes” or “society’s eyes,” meaning something like “situation” in modern terms. In other words, “weakened eye to cursed eye” was used to mean “a cursed situation piling up on a weakened situation.”
Thus, this expression was born from the combination of the real experiences of Edo commoners and the religious views of that time.
Interesting Facts
The “eye” in “cursed eye” does not mean “eyeball” in modern language, but is an archaic word meaning “state or condition.” The same usage can be seen in expressions like “catching people’s attention” and “society’s eyes,” and was a common way of expression during the Edo period.
A similar expression to this proverb is “a bee to a crying face,” but this represents more specific and immediate disasters – getting hurt even more when already in pain. “Weakened eye to cursed eye” tends to express more long-term and serious situations.
Usage Examples
- Having the car break down while bedridden with a cold is truly weakened eye to cursed eye
- With job hunting not going well and then a family member being hospitalized, it can only be described as weakened eye to cursed eye
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, it can be said that “weakened eye to cursed eye” situations have become more complex and occur more frequently. In our information society, we have more opportunities to face multiple risks and problems simultaneously than before.
For example, private troubles occurring in the midst of social media controversy, or technical problems with remote work overlapping with domestic issues – these create digital-age-specific “weakened eye to cursed eye” situations. Also, due to economic globalization, events in distant countries often directly affect individual lives, making it not uncommon to be struck by unexpected cascading difficulties.
On the other hand, in modern times, supernatural interpretations like the “curses” of the Edo period have faded, and there is a tendency to understand things more scientifically and logically. Many people analyze the accumulation of misfortunes as “a matter of probability” or “the result of stress-induced decline in judgment.”
However, the reason this proverb continues to be used today is that it functions as an expression of empathy and comfort for difficult situations. On social media, we can see usage where people share misfortunes with hashtags like “weakened eye to cursed eye” and seek encouragement from others. For modern people too, it continues to live as an effective word to express life’s unreasonableness.
When AI Hears This
Modern psychological research includes a theory called the “stress vulnerability model.” This explains the phenomenon where a person who experiences one stressor shows a marked decrease in resistance to subsequent stressors. Remarkably, this scientific discovery perfectly matches what “misfortunes never come singly” has been expressing for hundreds of years.
Looking at specific research data, people who experience unemployment are 2.3 times more likely to become ill within six months, and the probability of having an accident immediately after divorce is 1.8 times higher. This is not mere coincidence. When the stress hormone cortisol is secreted over long periods, immune function declines and judgment becomes impaired.
What’s fascinating is that modern resilience research has scientifically clarified “methods for breaking the chain of difficulties.” For example, cognitive techniques that draw a boundary line saying “this ends here” when the first problem occurs, and methods that intentionally accumulate small successful experiences have been found to be effective.
People in the Edo period didn’t know brain science, yet through experience they saw through the mechanism of “bad things happening in succession.” Modern people, conversely, have the potential to acquire more effective methods for dealing with difficulties by combining this ancient wisdom with cutting-edge science.
Lessons for Today
What “weakened eye to cursed eye” teaches modern people is the importance of acting carefully especially during difficult times. When weakened by one problem, you become more likely to get caught up in troubles that you could normally avoid. In such times, it’s wise not to overdo it and to proceed with things as simply as possible.
Also, this proverb teaches us that “misfortune is not something to bear alone.” By honestly asking for help from those around you when in trouble, you can sometimes prevent cascading disasters. While individualism tends to be emphasized in modern society, it’s also a phrase that reminds us of the importance of human connections.
Furthermore, it contains hope that such situations are not permanent. The expression “weakened eye to cursed eye” itself implies that this is a special situation that will eventually pass. The experience of overcoming difficult times will surely become a treasure in life. Today’s “cursed eye” becomes tomorrow’s foundation for growth.
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