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90 sats \ 4 replies \ @Undisciplined 5 Aug \ on: Don’t Care About Others ideasfromtheedge
This is one of the common human traits that I truly despise. Obviously we have it here, too, in various forms. People might be accused of "putting on airs" or acting "above their station" or "thinking they're better than everyone", just for trying to better their situation. Crabs in a bucket, as you say.
Here, these things are born out of envy and jealousy, primarily. My understanding is that conformity is more rooted in something more like purity or obedience in Japan. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Our ideal of a right to "the pursuit of happiness" stands in stark beautiful contrast to this all too human ugliness.
Keeping up with the Jones
Homogeneity is easier to enforce in homogeneous societies.
Same with equality of outcomes
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I think it's worse than "keeping up with the Joneses". That's a shallow greedy motivation to live more lavishly than you should, but it isn't motivated by tearing others down.
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I think there are several factors that contribute to this robust conformity in Japan: unspoken rules of engagement, consideration of other people’s feelings, deference to authority and even to people who are just 1-2 years older than you, a fear that if they step off the well trodden path, they don’t know how to proceed further, etc.
Those who find the social norms suffocating in Japan will find ways to live and work overseas
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Many of those are good things, but there's an ugly side to it and I suspect many of those enforcing conformity are not doing it out of noble intentions.
One example that my wife told me about is that Japanese kids with naturally lighter hair color have been made to dye their hair darker, in order to conform with school codes. That is conformity for conformity's sake and it is very grating to American sensibilities.
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