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I asked my Japanese wife for her opinion on this matter and she thinks the reason Japanese in general are more content is because of the lack of drive created b

I asked my Japanese wife for her opinion on this matter and she thinks the reason Japanese in general are more content is because of the lack of drive created by class inequality. Generally speaking, Japanese people are fairly well taken care of by the social systems and there is not a lot of flaunted wealth unlike in the west. Most Japanese probably see no need to strive and work too hard because their life is okay by most standards. Food is great, healthcare won't make one go bankrupt, good service and there's that whole culture of fitting in "the nail that sticks out must be hammered in". With the lack of visual class divide, younger people just don't see the point of working their asses off. They do it at first because that's what they are taught but once introduced to the very rigid and stressful work environment, there is little hope of advancement. I think the depression and suicide is a result of being content - manifesting in frustration and ultimately being unable to deal with the mundane of every day life (combined with other factors like frustration with work and or lack of partners). I tend to agree. I have lived here for a short time but you get a sense of this just by being around people.

ForRealsies 8y ago
So we should expect less technological inventions, less creative solutions from this generation of the Japanese? I believe high Conscientiousness combined with high levels of Neuroticism is a common/promoted personality type over there.
pnw_hazor 8y ago
They were pretty content back in their medieval eras too. Go along get along, and such.
- enqk 8y ago
  That's not really consistent with the rebellions that were quite frequent in japanese villages during the medieval period
samirm 8y ago
Can you and/or your wife share your opinions on mental health in japanese society? Are people with mental illnesses looked down upon like in most of the world? Are psychologists/therapists a thing? etc.
chrischen 8y ago
I think there's a huge misconception about the conformity in Japan. Yes there is obvious conformity on the surface from a cursory glance, but then how do you explain the innovation that comes out of there? They're super inventive when it comes to Anime, food, design, and technology and it all stands at stark odds with how foreigners perceive them as conformist.
- wavefunction 8y ago
  >when it comes to Anime I am a fan of anime but I think there's a lot of tepid, derivative or uncreative anime being created that Westerners aren't completely exposed to. For example, there are six or seven anime released in the past few years where the protagonist went to sleep/died and then woke up in a video game world, either in a game they played IRL or simply somehow were transported to the world of a video game or a world that behaves as if it is a video game. They range from inventive and interesting to tedious rip-offs.
  - chrischen 8y ago
    Maybe that's a side effect from the sheer number and low production cost of Anime. In my opinion when the Japanese are inventive they have some really out-ther stuff, which is a sign they are really extending themselves in creativity.
    - wavefunction 8y ago
      The reason I still enjoy anime as an adult is that I find the stand-out productions to go far beyond the intellectual and physical boundaries of western productions so I definitely agree with you. One of the aspects of non-American narratives I enjoy is the greater likelihood of a tragic or bitter-sweet ending.
  - watwut 8y ago
    Unlike holywood that tends to produce ... never mind the same thriller over and over and over. Or game industry that moves like herd. Or fantasy genre that is repeating Tolkien tropes over and over and again. Superhero again and again and again. Detective stories one like another. All vampire stories that kinda copy each other. Existence of repetition does not cancel out creative inventions.
eeZah7Ux 8y ago
> there is not a lot of flaunted wealth unlike in the west Let's not generalize "the west". There's a huge difference in this regard between US and central/southern europe.
freetime2 8y ago
I agree that functioning social systems and reduced inequality seem to have a huge positive impact on quality of life compared to the US. In addition to health care (which you mentioned), the quality of public schools also seems to be much better on average than in the US. And unlike in the US, where the quality of schools can vary dramatically by the neighborhood you live in (i.e. Palo Alto vs. East Palo Alto in the Bay Area), the quality is fairly consistent between richer areas and poorer areas. Houses are also much more affordable to own in Japan. Interest rates are around 1%. Tokyo is doing a good job of keeping up with demand, and a single family home in Tokyo can be purchased for under $500k compared to millions of dollars in SF or NY. These things matter when it comes to contentment. I may not be rich, but I can own my own home, my kids can get a good education, crime is very low, we don't have to worry about going bankrupt if we have a medical emergency, there are amazing public parks nearby that I can visit, good service wherever I ago, etc.

ForRealsies 8y ago

So we should expect less technological inventions, less creative solutions from this generation of the Japanese? I believe high Conscientiousness combined with high levels of Neuroticism is a common/promoted personality type over there.

pnw_hazor 8y ago

They were pretty content back in their medieval eras too. Go along get along, and such.

enqk 8y ago
That's not really consistent with the rebellions that were quite frequent in japanese villages during the medieval period

samirm 8y ago

Can you and/or your wife share your opinions on mental health in japanese society? Are people with mental illnesses looked down upon like in most of the world? Are psychologists/therapists a thing? etc.

chrischen 8y ago

I think there's a huge misconception about the conformity in Japan. Yes there is obvious conformity on the surface from a cursory glance, but then how do you explain the innovation that comes out of there? They're super inventive when it comes to Anime, food, design, and technology and it all stands at stark odds with how foreigners perceive them as conformist.

wavefunction 8y ago
>when it comes to Anime I am a fan of anime but I think there's a lot of tepid, derivative or uncreative anime being created that Westerners aren't completely exposed to. For example, there are six or seven anime released in the past few years where the protagonist went to sleep/died and then woke up in a video game world, either in a game they played IRL or simply somehow were transported to the world of a video game or a world that behaves as if it is a video game. They range from inventive and interesting to tedious rip-offs.
- chrischen 8y ago
  Maybe that's a side effect from the sheer number and low production cost of Anime. In my opinion when the Japanese are inventive they have some really out-ther stuff, which is a sign they are really extending themselves in creativity.
  - wavefunction 8y ago
    The reason I still enjoy anime as an adult is that I find the stand-out productions to go far beyond the intellectual and physical boundaries of western productions so I definitely agree with you. One of the aspects of non-American narratives I enjoy is the greater likelihood of a tragic or bitter-sweet ending.
- watwut 8y ago
  Unlike holywood that tends to produce ... never mind the same thriller over and over and over. Or game industry that moves like herd. Or fantasy genre that is repeating Tolkien tropes over and over and again. Superhero again and again and again. Detective stories one like another. All vampire stories that kinda copy each other. Existence of repetition does not cancel out creative inventions.

eeZah7Ux 8y ago

> there is not a lot of flaunted wealth unlike in the west Let's not generalize "the west". There's a huge difference in this regard between US and central/southern europe.

freetime2 8y ago

I agree that functioning social systems and reduced inequality seem to have a huge positive impact on quality of life compared to the US. In addition to health care (which you mentioned), the quality of public schools also seems to be much better on average than in the US. And unlike in the US, where the quality of schools can vary dramatically by the neighborhood you live in (i.e. Palo Alto vs. East Palo Alto in the Bay Area), the quality is fairly consistent between richer areas and poorer areas. Houses are also much more affordable to own in Japan. Interest rates are around 1%. Tokyo is doing a good job of keeping up with demand, and a single family home in Tokyo can be purchased for under $500k compared to millions of dollars in SF or NY. These things matter when it comes to contentment. I may not be rich, but I can own my own home, my kids can get a good education, crime is very low, we don't have to worry about going bankrupt if we have a medical emergency, there are amazing public parks nearby that I can visit, good service wherever I ago, etc.