177Japanese proverb ことわざ
遠慮なければ近憂あり
えんりょなければきんゆうありEnryo nakereba kin'yū ari
“Without far sight, near sorrows.”
Word for wordWithout regard for the distant, grief close at hand.
The meaning
Who does not look far soon stumbles. Part of each day belongs to the horizon: what you see there spares tomorrow's emergencies.
At the origin
A maxim from the Analects of Confucius, absorbed into Japanese usage.
The characters
- 遠慮 enryofar thought
- なけれ nakereto lack
- ば
- 近憂
- あり
In practice
Reserve one moment a week to think beyond the month.
Editorial note
Classical Chinese origin (Analects of Confucius).
Themes
Similar proverbs
- 039 遠くの親戚より近くの他人 A close neighbor beats a distant relative.
- 024 備えあれば憂いなし Where there is preparation, there is no worry.
- 159 一年の計は元旦にあり The year's plan is drawn on New Year's morning.
- 180 千慮の一失 In a thousand thoughts, one slip.
- 200 人の一生は重荷を負うて遠き道を行くが如し A man's life is a long road walked under a burden; there is no need to hurry.