Once you lose power, position, or presence, people quickly forget you and treat you with indifference. It laments the cold, transactional nature of social relationships.
This saying is often used in political and workplace contexts, where people are treated well only while they hold influence. It reflects a deep-seated awareness of social opportunism.
Chinese people use this to express both disappointment and a hardened realism about human nature. It serves as a caution to not take social warmth at face value, and to prepare emotionally for the inevitable cooling of relationships when circumstances change.
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