300-year-old Tokyo comb company sells 30k-yen ($200) wooden hair combs

Post by oldpersonintx » Sat, Dec 02, 2023, 12:40 AM UTC

ilrwbwrkhv wrote: post #5

reallymental wrote: post #4

I find it endearing, fascinating but ultimately tedious that the Japanese put SO much effort into both seemingly mundane AND intricate objects. I realize that it's more a combination of tradition and their self imposed ~exile~ (isolationism, corrected) from the world for a long time. But there must be a reason why they excel, I mean really excel at anything they put their minds to. Their population also tolerates thi…

Yes because they understand the point of life. It is the creating and the making that makes things worth living. That is why chat gpt and similar tech is going to make our lives more meaningless. Writing and struggling and completing the poem is itself more than half of what makes a poem worthy. The final artifact which chatgpt provides is meaningless without that effort.

Post by packetlost » Sat, Dec 02, 2023, 12:44 AM UTC

kianlocke wrote: post #14

ilrwbwrkhv wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes because they understand the point of life. It is the creating and the making that makes things worth living. That is why chat gpt and similar tech is going to make our lives more meaningless. Writing and struggling and completing the poem is itself more than half of what makes a poem worthy. The final artifact which chatgpt provides is meaningless without that effort.

I don't think that struggling to write poetry makes the poem worthy. The final result, and its impact on the performer/reader/listener does (and I say this as a poet). Many of my most profoundly impactful (to myself and others) works birthed themselves painlessly in thirty minutes or less. Several ones that mean the most to me in less than five minutes.

Post by zomglings » Sat, Dec 02, 2023, 12:48 AM UTC

reallymental wrote: post #4

I find it endearing, fascinating but ultimately tedious that the Japanese put SO much effort into both seemingly mundane AND intricate objects. I realize that it's more a combination of tradition and their self imposed ~exile~ (isolationism, corrected) from the world for a long time. But there must be a reason why they excel, I mean really excel at anything they put their minds to. Their population also tolerates thi…

Post by rpearl » Sat, Dec 02, 2023, 12:48 AM UTC

reallymental wrote: post #4

I find it endearing, fascinating but ultimately tedious that the Japanese put SO much effort into both seemingly mundane AND intricate objects. I realize that it's more a combination of tradition and their self imposed ~exile~ (isolationism, corrected) from the world for a long time. But there must be a reason why they excel, I mean really excel at anything they put their minds to. Their population also tolerates thi…

Post by Terr_ » Sat, Dec 02, 2023, 12:50 AM UTC

bluepizza wrote: post #11

reallymental wrote: post #4

I find it endearing, fascinating but ultimately tedious that the Japanese put SO much effort into both seemingly mundane AND intricate objects. I realize that it's more a combination of tradition and their self imposed ~exile~ (isolationism, corrected) from the world for a long time. But there must be a reason why they excel, I mean really excel at anything they put their minds to. Their population also tolerates thi…

Isolation lasted only 260 years, and ended more than 150 years ago. Explaining luxury combs because of sakoku is a bit absurd. It's akin to explaining luxury handbags due to the vikings invasions.