"Why is there no looting in Japan" - interesting comments!!
Discussion
jbi said:
yup... here's a good description of Japanese culture and their attitudes to foreigners..
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Primer.html
"There is one exception though -- the Celebrity Factor. If one becomes a Japanese celebrity, singer, actor/actress, etc., then paradoxically all is forgiven. "http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Primer.html
See, we're not so different.
simoid said:
groan said:
I could be wrong about this, but wasn't there a Japanese TV entertainment programme which basically involved them torturing each other in horrendously painful and seriously disgusting circumstances?
Do you mean Dirty Sanchez? Jackass?For example - http://www.glumbert.com/media/endurance
SeeFive said:
simoid said:
groan said:
I could be wrong about this, but wasn't there a Japanese TV entertainment programme which basically involved them torturing each other in horrendously painful and seriously disgusting circumstances?
Do you mean Dirty Sanchez? Jackass?For example - http://www.glumbert.com/media/endurance
Years ago my wife and I had Japanese friends from Nagasaki staying with me. We both had children of similar age.
My children were very well behaved by English standards, but the Japanese children were in another league.
We discussed why this should be and my friend explained that that his children wouldn’t think to behave otherwise although they were no better behaved than typical for Japanese children.
This suggested a cultural factor. After careful examination we concluded that the key factor was the relationship between the individual and the group.
In our culture we privilege the individual. We accord rights (and sometimes responsibilities) at an individual level. As such we condition children to think of themselves as individuals and put their self-interest first, trusting that the combination of individuals acting in their self-interest will produce a mutually beneficial society.
Japanese culture privileges the group over the individual. Children are conditioned to think of the group to which they belong over self-interest. In so doing they trust that the group does well and this leads to benefits which promote happiness for the individuals comprising the group. Group identity is set at various levels and an individual belongs to several groups; e.g. family, employer, national. This also accounts for our perception of them as nationalistic.
The Japanese believe that privileging the group over self-interest is rational. Individuals are transitory manifestations of the soul. The individual lacks permanence and will be dead in a few decades, losing all they worked for. A group, like the nation has permanence. Since they generally believe in reincarnation they hope to be reborn Japanese, thereby reacquiring the benefits of the group they helped promote in a previous life.
In addition, they believe that the way you live this life affects the rebirth. If they live honourably then they will be reincarnated into a more favourable life.
The Japanese trust that this will produce a society that benefits them as individuals in this lifetime and the next. They trust this will be more successful in producing a society than what the Japanese disparagingly call ‘the Coca-Cola culture’.
My friend commented that although his children were still superbly behaved by English standards, the behaviour of Japanese children had been in decline since the Coca-Cola culture was forced upon them by occupation following WW2.
Considering the decline in standards of behaviour I have observed within my lifetime and current English society, it makes me wonder if the philosophy underpinning our society has it right after all.
My children were very well behaved by English standards, but the Japanese children were in another league.
We discussed why this should be and my friend explained that that his children wouldn’t think to behave otherwise although they were no better behaved than typical for Japanese children.
This suggested a cultural factor. After careful examination we concluded that the key factor was the relationship between the individual and the group.
In our culture we privilege the individual. We accord rights (and sometimes responsibilities) at an individual level. As such we condition children to think of themselves as individuals and put their self-interest first, trusting that the combination of individuals acting in their self-interest will produce a mutually beneficial society.
Japanese culture privileges the group over the individual. Children are conditioned to think of the group to which they belong over self-interest. In so doing they trust that the group does well and this leads to benefits which promote happiness for the individuals comprising the group. Group identity is set at various levels and an individual belongs to several groups; e.g. family, employer, national. This also accounts for our perception of them as nationalistic.
The Japanese believe that privileging the group over self-interest is rational. Individuals are transitory manifestations of the soul. The individual lacks permanence and will be dead in a few decades, losing all they worked for. A group, like the nation has permanence. Since they generally believe in reincarnation they hope to be reborn Japanese, thereby reacquiring the benefits of the group they helped promote in a previous life.
In addition, they believe that the way you live this life affects the rebirth. If they live honourably then they will be reincarnated into a more favourable life.
The Japanese trust that this will produce a society that benefits them as individuals in this lifetime and the next. They trust this will be more successful in producing a society than what the Japanese disparagingly call ‘the Coca-Cola culture’.
My friend commented that although his children were still superbly behaved by English standards, the behaviour of Japanese children had been in decline since the Coca-Cola culture was forced upon them by occupation following WW2.
Considering the decline in standards of behaviour I have observed within my lifetime and current English society, it makes me wonder if the philosophy underpinning our society has it right after all.
Brighton Derly said:
I don't believe anyone would be looting if a giant tidal wave decimated Doncaster and killed 10,000 people tomorrow. People in the immediate vacinity might be desperate to find food and water but they wouldn't be carting away plasma tellies from dead people's houses.
Not sure of the case in Japan with regards to looting in the nuclear exclusion zone, but are you honestly telling me that if a 20km exclusion zone was put around a power station in the average British town that there would be no looting from all the empty houses and shops? Get real.I am not saying the Japanese are perfect, in fact they are very lacking in a number of ways, but I am not so narrow minded as to not be able to spot their positive traits rather than get all defensive about everything.
TonyToniTone said:
SplatSpeed said:
lack of burbury
keeps crime to a minimum!
who'd have thought... burberry-shares-fall-on-japan-worrieskeeps crime to a minimum!
couldn't find the open mouth change feet smilie
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