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What does the ancient saying “50 don’t build a house, 60 don’t plant trees, 70 don’t sew clothes” mean?

Idioms and proverbs are products of the ancients, drawing on experiences in production and life. Most of them are easy to understand, a few sentences explain the most practical truths in life.

In China, there is a saying that has been passed down through generations as follows: “50 don’t build a house, 60 don’t plant trees, 70 don’t sew clothes”. What does this saying mean? Why? Its meaning will be explained below:

50 don’t build a house

The first part of the teaching actually comes from the words of Confucius. The sage once said: “I am determined to study at the age of 15, be proud at the age of 30, without a doubt at the age of 40, and know the vocation at the age of 50.” For the ancients, the age of fifty is the age of “knowing the destiny of heaven”, or simply being aware of what can and cannot be done.

As we all know, in the olden days or in ancient villages, building a house was not an easy thing. At that time, due to the lack of economic and technological conditions, it took a young man of a healthy age to build a house for months or even years.

  The ancients said that 50 did not build a house, 60 did not plant trees, and 70 did not sew clothes, what does that mean?  - Photo 1.

Illustration. Photo: Internet

Meanwhile, in the previous period, the age of fifty was considered old, and the strength was not much. Therefore, at that time, the elderly over 50 years old generally did not repair their own houses.

In addition, the ancients also believed that a person after 50 years of age is still struggling, which is a sad sign. It is possible that the family does not have children to help, so the elderly have to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, the ancients in general attach great importance to filial piety, so it is unacceptable for an old person to have no children to take care of.

In addition, there is another reason. In the past, due to war or poor living conditions, human life expectancy was often short. So, 50 years old is generally equivalent to “one foot in the coffin”. Therefore, at this time, it is highly likely that the owner will not enjoy his results.

In addition, the house that is left to the children is very likely to become the trigger for infighting. After all, there are many family examples fighting over the property left by their parents from past to present. Therefore, this is also the reason why the ancients did not want to build a house after the age of 50.

Therefore, from this point of view, 50 years old without building a house can be understood as people’s wish for the following years to enjoy a leisurely life, to have children and grandchildren to help.

60 don’t plant trees

This clause has the same meaning as “50 don’t build a house”. Both are manual labor, for the elderly in their sixties, having a lot of overwork is not good.

Although afforestation and greening the environment are worthy of support, we must also know how to measure our own strength. Everyone knows that the elderly are no longer strong bones.

Meanwhile, planting trees often requires a lot of effort. Just one minute of carelessness, the elderly can also fall or get injured. This causes pain for the people themselves, but also for the children and grandchildren. In the end, the good work is not done, and it also brings disaster to the body.

Therefore, people over the age of 60 should choose activities suitable for their own health, should not be too greedy for work to cause unfortunate accidents.

  The ancients said that 50 did not build a house, 60 did not plant trees, and 70 did not sew clothes, what does that mean?  - Photo 2.

Illustration. Photo: Internet

70 does not sew clothes

The ancients said that, at the age of 70, we should “do what we want without breaking the rules”. In the past, there were not many people at this age, anyone who was lucky enough to live past 70 years old could be said to have a long life. Hence these old days, it is better to enjoy life instead of spending time sewing.

In addition, many elderly people have blurred vision in general, making it more difficult to use a needle. Sewing also takes a lot of time and has to sit for a long time. This is not easy for someone over 70 years old. Therefore, the 70’s advice not to sew clothes is to want the elderly to rest and enjoy their old age.

Besides, there is another explanation for this view. Some places think that this is implying that grandparents and parents do not want to make new clothes, but save money for their children and grandchildren. After all, this is still the common mentality of the predecessors, who do not want their children to work hard.

In short, the above saying is not limited to building houses, planting trees, dressing or elderly people. Its meaning is even broader, implying that we must be self-aware of our own abilities and work on our own strength. This not only helps avoid unfortunate accidents, but also reminds everyone to enjoy life while they can, not to regret later.

Articles refer to the source 163

https://soha.vn/co-nhan-noi-50-khong-xay-nha-60-khong-trong-cay-70-khong-may-ao-co-nghia-tham-sau-gi-20220414174040134. htm


According to Thuy Anh

Law and Readers

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