A real commitment to “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” https://www.tofugu.com/japan/conformity-in-japan/
I found out recently that the Chinese have an equivalent phrase: “The fattest pig gets eaten first”.
The loudest duck gets shot.
Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
91–100 of 136 posts
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
> since I don’t understand Japanese, I can’t read the article to check. Sure you can! https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https... * Does my comment seem flippant or 100% unhelpful or something? I’m super confused why it’s getting downvoted to death. I understand the parent might have been asking for nuance of translation, but I meant this to be helpful; you can in fact get a pretty good sense for…
I'm conflicted between gratitude for the translation link and anxiety over its NSFW picture. Damn this cube-shaped panopticon.
Hehe, well I do appreciate the gratitude part, so thank you for saying so. It seems many others didn’t appreciate.
FWIW, this picture isn’t any worse than the video in the OP’s English article.
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
It seems very cruel to deny him the only thing he seems to want and that has negligible effect on anyone else.
But he seemed to have fun! Why isn't he miserable like everyone else? Society can't function if people are having fun, can't you see that?
"They're about to start piss testing for adrenaline in the workplace, that's how sad this country's gotten...
'Is that yours Donnie? It looks a little cloudy, have you been having fun on the weekend? Are we not enough fun for you here at the Verizon Wireless family that you need to seek it elsewhere? I don't think you're a team player.'"
-Doug Stanhope, No Refunds
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#94I find this really depressing, that he is forced to abandon a lifestyle that he himself choose. I can't help but think of Ted Kaczynski who wrote along the lines that we are cogs in the social machine deprived of dignity and autonomy. The industrial society and its future: http://editions-hache.com/essais/pdf/kaczynski2.pdf
please read about his victims as well, https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/04/us/unabomber-s-track-vict...
I don’t agree with his methods. I might agree with his conclusions regarding modern society.
Regardless, it might be good to preface any mention of him by also mentioning what he did and who he hurt.
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#95If you haven't read 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley, you ought to add it to your list. Interesting parallels between this article and the world Huxley predicted nearly 100 years ago.
People always talk about Orwell and 1984, but it was Huxley who really nailed it imo. I think he appreciated the degree to which a stable dystopia required the consent and participation- even enthusiasm- of the general populace.
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#96I find this really depressing, that he is forced to abandon a lifestyle that he himself choose. I can't help but think of Ted Kaczynski who wrote along the lines that we are cogs in the social machine deprived of dignity and autonomy. The industrial society and its future: http://editions-hache.com/essais/pdf/kaczynski2.pdf
The Netflix "documentary" (Manhunt: Unabomber) is a great watch. While it's a bit dramatised it's still a good (and short 9eps) watch.
I liked it, too. I didn't expect to feel anything for Ted's side of the story, but I felt the series did a good job of making him come across as a human being (who just happens to blow people up by sending them bombs in the mail).
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
...for burglaries.
...of candy. (In any case, isn't public nakedness also a crime? It is in many countries.)
> isn’t public nakedness also a crime?
It can be, but in the US it somewhat depends on intent. And, of course, nudity is usually a misdemeanor or less, in contrast to Chris Knight’s ~1000 felony burglaries — burglary is a felony in Massachusetts.
Trying to be provocative or shocking is mainly what’s illegal, but breastfeeding, for example, isn’t illegal. The wikipedia page on indecent exposure laws has this hilarious sentence: “The Supreme Court of Massachusetts ruled that the law could refer to sudden, unexpected exposure of the buttocks” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indecent_exposure_in_the_Uni...
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
please read about his victims as well, https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/04/us/unabomber-s-track-vict...
I don’t agree with his methods. I might agree with his conclusions regarding modern society. Regardless, it might be good to preface any mention of him by also mentioning what he did and who he hurt.
I second this. What Kaczynski did was terrible, but he was obviously very intelligent and highly observant. Upon reading Industrial Society and its Future, it was hard for me to deny the validity(note the difference between validity and soundness) of many of his arguments. I would say it's worth reading if the reader can mentally-divorce ideas from their thinkers, and it's a fascinating read at that.
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#99Imagine feeling completely one with nature, making your position clear that this is where and how you would like to die. The time comes for you to wrestle with your mortality, you've worked for 30 years to do it with dignity. You've rejected man's system, because you know it's not right for you, and in your final moments it comes for you, steals you away, and forces you back into the machine. This isn't a morally imp…
Imagine some mentally ill person decides he wants to be at one with nature on your property... There's two (or more) sides to everything. The people who own the island have the legal right to kick him out. I get your perspective but if he really wants to get back to nature he should find a place where he is welcome to do so. EDIT: For all the people asking about the details of the property owners asking him to leave,…
> mentally ill
Ah, and what is health? We use this term to talk about physical health (infections, disease, cancer), mental health and also habits (eating healthy, or playing video games all day isn't healthy).
This starts to get really ambiguous. You're now applying societal standards, maybe throwing a little happiness index in there ...
We don't see living alone in solitude as healthy. Yet this man claims to be find after decades, with pretty minimal human interaction. What is health? What even is his identity?
If everyone made his decisions, humanity would cease to reproduce and exist? Is that were our baseline is? Homosexuality was in the DSM as a mental health condition. We treat anorexia as a mental disorder to be treated, as we do body integrity disorder, but we support gender reassignment surgery, even though they are all forms of body dymorphism.
I ask again, what is health?
Re: Japan's 'Naked Hermit' Pried from Island Utopia After 29 Years
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don’t agree with his methods. I might agree with his conclusions regarding modern society. Regardless, it might be good to preface any mention of him by also mentioning what he did and who he hurt.
I second this. What Kaczynski did was terrible, but he was obviously very intelligent and highly observant. Upon reading Industrial Society and its Future, it was hard for me to deny the validity(note the difference between validity and soundness) of many of his arguments. I would say it's worth reading if the reader can mentally-divorce ideas from their thinkers, and it's a fascinating read at that.
Kaczynski's lack a sense of history or worse a romanticized version of it. People were less free in pre-industrial society and more controlled not less. Despite the depictions it is important to remember that nature does not give a damn about you and life is accordingly harsh because of it.