tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.comments2018-07-10T16:02:50.764-07:00Nicholas FloydNicholas Floydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134925341087148898noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-17974967224591148682018-07-10T16:02:50.764-07:002018-07-10T16:02:50.764-07:00I think what you’re wrestling with is not to eat o...I think what you’re wrestling with is not to eat or not to eat meat, to waste or not to waste food, but to judge or not to judge on the basis of principles which may or may not exist in any other context than what you perceive as right and wrong. Such an issue is a moral one and calls into question the culture, the circumstances, the law, and even religious bias, all of which are different depending what group you count yourself amongst. Ultimately, the universe, and in its comprehensible expression as planet earth, provides without judgment, bias, or conviction, and little matters on our cellular macro scale in comparison to the vastness we belong to. By divesting yourself of cultural, social, normative, and moral inventions of the geographic species you identify with you may attain freedom that is without judgment, without the duality of right or wrong, or correct. Those are simply human inventions some will and others will not abide by or even recognize as being important. If your dillema is rooted in concepts such as karma, or health, or doctrine, every decision will be tainted by the underlying concept. That doesn’t mean your confusion isn’t real, but only that it’s worthless at the same time, and the same can be said about you and me.Hawaiian Saleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05132927959639102593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-45568680259510369172016-11-03T16:25:53.455-07:002016-11-03T16:25:53.455-07:00Great questions. Yes, while I was living in Japan ...Great questions. Yes, while I was living in Japan I worked in a typical Japanese office environment, and in many ways I lived the typical salaryman lifestyle.<br /><br />To answer your questions:<br /><br />1) The heavy workload is expected of pretty much all employees, though the ones at the bottom tend to get the worst of it. High-ranking employees still have to bow to the will of their superiors (business clients, shareholders, corporate headquarters, etc.)<br /><br />2) I'm speaking in extremely broad terms here, but typically one advances in a Japanese company not by standing out, but simply by having been there a long time, working the long hours and not rocking the boat. Of course nepotism and personal relationships also factor in, but when a position opens up because someone retired (or died from overwork), filling that spot is usually a seniority contest: those who have been there the longest get promoted.<br /><br />3) Historically, Japanese workers stayed with one company for their entire career, but that's not so true anymore. There are of course "acceptable" reasons to leave a job (for example, moving to a different part of town), but unfortunately "being overworked" is generally not acceptable. As far as Japanese companies firing a full-time employee, that's somewhat pretty rare. Strange as it may seem, on the books Japan actually has strong labor laws that protect employees, making most Japanese companies very hesitant to fire any full-time employee. (Firing part-time or contract employees is quite easy and done all the time.) But for whatever reason, those strong labor laws are rarely enforced when it comes to the workload. Japanese companies seem much more comfortable with the risk of overworking an employee, rather than the risk of firing an employee.<br /><br />4) 仕方が無い and しょうがない mean the same thing, but the latter is more casual and usually used in spoken conversation. 仕方が無い is more often seen in written form, not often used in spoken conversation. Japanese is full of nuances like this (and as you mentioned, the different politeness levels), though typically your point will get across even if you goof up these nuances. Most Japanese people don't expect foreigners to speak Japanese at all (and certainly not proper Japanese), so usually you get a free pass even if you commit some grave blunder.Nicholas Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05134925341087148898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-42523507028849885472016-11-03T12:51:29.605-07:002016-11-03T12:51:29.605-07:00Interesting write-up. Succinct and to the point. D...Interesting write-up. Succinct and to the point. Did you have similar experiences in this work-heavy culture while you were living there? I have a few questions if you'll indulge me:<br /><br />1. Is this heavy workload expected of ALL employees in a company or just those at the bottom of the totem pole so to speak? Do entry-level positions tend to get worked harder than mid or upper management? <br /><br />2. So if 出る杭は打たれる is a thing, then how does one advance in a company? Simply work hard and hope that you get selected for promotions? How does one stand over as a prime candidate over other fellow employees working the same hours and providing similar results? Is networking and establishing personal relationships a more effective way to get promoted?<br /><br />3. So once you graduate from school and start working for a company, is it basically a lifelong commitment to that company or risk career suicide by quitting and applying to others? What happens if you're fired from your work? Do you simply get lucky and find another employer who doesn't mind, or do you switch careers entirely? <br /><br />4. Is the phrase "仕方が無い" similar to "しょがない”? Is the latter just a more colloquial or condensed version of the former? Currently I'm attempting to self-study Japanese, but it's difficult to separate how people actually communicate in Japan versus how the textbooks want you to communicate. Distinguishing between polite vs. casual vs. super formal has been a bizarre thing to try and untangle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-16099147083470720712016-10-30T15:11:20.075-07:002016-10-30T15:11:20.075-07:00I'm not super familiar with the Huffington Pos...I'm not super familiar with the Huffington Post or what type of reputation they have, but that sounds like a compliment to me, so I'll take it! Thanks! :-)Nicholas Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05134925341087148898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-24324038278977363062016-10-29T18:59:11.237-07:002016-10-29T18:59:11.237-07:00Illuminating article of the kind I'd expect to...Illuminating article of the kind I'd expect to find at Huffington Post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-89129421293867028652016-02-29T00:57:08.259-08:002016-02-29T00:57:08.259-08:00Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so!Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so!Nicholas Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05134925341087148898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-80358081537579567572016-02-28T19:04:10.555-08:002016-02-28T19:04:10.555-08:00Interesting, to say the least.Interesting, to say the least.Vuilnishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11495698145166142183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-31308669131100979372015-10-09T00:48:16.795-07:002015-10-09T00:48:16.795-07:00LikeLikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-22344377268852605502015-09-17T12:34:45.249-07:002015-09-17T12:34:45.249-07:00Congrats! The way I see it, forging your own path ...Congrats! The way I see it, forging your own path (regardless of whether you succeed or fail) is almost certainly more rewarding than simply following someone else's path.Nicholas Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05134925341087148898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414950300008630146.post-29141663349289624862015-09-15T13:51:04.409-07:002015-09-15T13:51:04.409-07:00I foresaw this kind of future possibility for myse...I foresaw this kind of future possibility for myself and changed my course immediately upon realizing that. <br /><br />In less than a week I will have done all that is required for a certified personal trainer and that has always been the title I wanted the most. And I will carry it proudly and forge my own path. Not anyone else's. Mine. I will not go along with the masses. Fuck that. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16255611049407990423noreply@blogger.com