Native Speaker Curated
This means that the fortunes and misfortunes in life are difficult to predict, and events that initially seem unfortunate can later lead to happiness. It is an optimistic lesson that any adversity holds the potential to ultimately bring about good results.
In China, the phrase "Saiō shiba, enchi hi fuku" (塞翁失馬、焉知非福) is widely known as a classical idiom that, like Japan's "Jinkan banji Saiō ga uma" (人間万事塞翁が馬), teaches that the fortune or misfortune of events cannot be predicted and that unfortunate events may ultimately lead to good luck. In Japan, the phrase "Jinkan banji Saiō ga uma" is commonly used and has permeated as a metaphor for the unpredictability of life's fortunes and misfortunes. It is often used in a positive sense to express hope for a favorable outcome when facing difficult situations.
Once upon a time, there was an old man living near the northern border of China. One day, the horse he kept suddenly ran away. The neighbors sympathized with the old man, but he calmly said, "This may not necessarily be a misfortune." A few months later, the runaway horse returned, bringing along a fine horse. People came to celebrate the old man's good fortune, but he said again, "This may not necessarily be a blessing." Eventually, the old man's son rode the fine horse, fell off, and broke his leg. People sympathized with the old man again, but he said, "This may not necessarily be a misfortune." Some time later, barbarians invaded from the north. All the young men were conscripted as soldiers and sent to the battlefield, but the old man's son was exempted from the draft due to his leg injury, thus saving his life.
It is suitable as a design that expresses a mindset of accepting the causality of things and the ups and downs of life. Combining it with motifs such as horses, or adding backgrounds featuring clouds, shooting stars, and other symbols of the changing course of fate, can impart a deeper meaning. For the lettering style, choosing flowing semi-cursive or cursive scripts is appropriate to represent the flow of life. In terms of placement, locations with a certain amount of space, such as the back or the inner side of the arms, are suitable as they make it easier to balance the overall design and express a sense of narrative.