Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Japanese mind 2 (Group solidarity and alcohol)

According to the book, group solidarity is very important in Japan and individuality is something people try to avoid. In general, people try to follow the crowd and try to agree with the others. Good relationship is more important than expressing their own opinion.

They also value the feeling of belonging to a group. I've heard that it is therefore often that young people that are members of a sports club are expected, and often forced, to drink alcohol at social events to build the feeling of belonging to a group. Someone from the lab told me he was forced by his superiors in a kendo (Japanese fencing) club to drink alcohol until he could bear it. That he didn't agree with it, but it was something normal. When he was 18... I was shocked!

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