A Matter of National Insecurity

Written by: Kim Pilger     Date added: 12-18-08

Historic Japan is a nation of samurais and ninjas. Powerful emperors and graceful geisha complement the hardworking rural folk who strived for a simple but proud existence in the unforgiving climate of this rugged land. So, what happened? What made the Japanese the most shameful and insecure people on the planet? How did fearless samurai and stealthy ninjas give way to passive-aggressive spineless and shallow individuals who suffer quietly yet cling desperately to a sense of national pride long gone? The cause of this problem is simple. The result is obvious. The solution, however, is much more complicated, as the damage is deep.

Prior to the end of the Second World War, Japanese had thought of themselves as descendents of gods. Despite an abundance of proof that Japanese are actually descendents of Koreans, they held strong to their belief. Archaeological study has always been prohibited in Nara and for good reason. The word Nara (while having no meaning in Japanese) means homeland in old Korean. Pride was strong enough to bury this knowledge. The belief that they were related to gods and not men gave them the power to rule the land. Unfortunately, despite invading over 40 countries during WWII, Japan was severely defeated. In addition to losing most of their resources and many of their citizens, the country was now forced to deal with the humiliation of foreign occupation.

The solution to the national insecurity crisis which has taken hold of Japan can only be understood by looking at the symptoms. These can be seen in all the residents of this country. They are so firmly rooted in the population, that they influence virtually every action in every situation every minute and everywhere. All you have to do is take a look around to see how great a problem national insecurity is.

Bowing and apologizing, once reserved only to show deference to the elite of society, are now country-wide behaviors. People have become so self-effacing as to apologize for receiving a cup of hot water with a few sprigs of tea in it. Too shamed from a lifetime of self-abuse and shattered self-worth, these individuals feel guilty if they eat warm food. For many, this prospect is so difficult, they will deliberately wait, making excuses or having meetings so as to forgo any sense of pleasure. Too lowly for spices or sauce, they will eat the scrapings of a fishing net raw just as a homeless man picks through garbage. They can’t afford to be choosey. They have the lowest self-esteem on the planet.

This should not be confused as it often is with humility. Humility is thinking you are not better than others. Low self-worth is thinking you are worse than others. This does not stop at the self in Japanese society. It extends to all groups pitiful enough to allow the afflicted to join.

A: “How is your baseball team?”

B: “Not very good.”

A: “Your daughter is a great piano player.”

B: “No, not really.”

A: “Your wife is beautiful.”

B: “No, she is below average.”

In fact, many Japanese will deliberately choose a partner with status much lower than their own to punish themselves further. You don’t have to look far to see examples of this.

Eventually, this crushing insecurity reaches a point where it must be addressed. We are social animals, and as such, need to be validated by others. How is it possible that the Japanese with all that shame on his or her shoulders can actually feel a sense of acceptance and belongingness? If you turn the coin over, it’s obvious how easy it is to fit it. Those characters with the lowest sense of self-esteem display the most obvious coping strategies. These can be grouped into three major categories: blending in, crowd pleasing and shitting on outsiders.

• Blending in is the easiest and most common strategy. One of the ways to blend in is to look and dress like other people. If there is a sports event, it is imperative that one wears a sports uniform even if he or she is not participating. This is because one can be assured others will be wearing a sport’s uniform and therefore blending in is easier. Most blenders keep a variety of clothing close at hand for quick costume changes as situations dictate. Another way to blend in is to simply do what other people are doing. Watch and learn. Most Japanese people are terrified of not doing things exactly the same as other people. This is easily remedied by having meetings to discuss people’s roles as well as numerous rehearsals to make sure nobody stands out. Finally, in the case where one isn’t able to do the preceding two activities, the Japanese will often resort to the default activity – starting intently at a computer screen. Spreadsheets appear to be the visual stimuli of choice as they are rather ambiguous.
• Occasionally blending in isn’t enough. People need a social outlet and this is where the second category comes into play. Crowd pleasing is easy in an environment where everyone has an identity crisis and shattered self-esteem. The most afflicted of these will simply hold on in quiet desperation until someone of higher status says something which could be construed as mildly amusing. At this point, they immediately begin laughing. Then they begin to exhibit a number of other interesting status-seeking rituals common in other primates such as baboons and chimps.  The head-bobbing coupled with nervous-laughing is a call for help. They desperately want others to join in. As others become aware of this they also join in uncomfortably. Soon, all the low status individuals begin looking around like prairie dogs, bobbing their heads and laughing. Shortly, everyone begins laughing because those who are focused on the blending-in ritual realize they now stand out. As people forget why they are laughing, they slowly trail-off leaving the least secure members of the group as the last ones standing, their forced laughter eventually subsiding. This serves not only as an outlet but a convenient way for outsiders to ascertain the pecking order and determine who the dominant members of the group are.
• The final strategy used is that of shitting on outsiders. This can be effective at temporarily raising the self esteem of those most afflicted. It is usually the members with the lowest sense of self-worth who engage in this most desperate of acts. One of the ways to shit on others is to mock them. A patronizing “jozu” goes a long way to lower an outsider’s rank in relation to one’s own. Another way is to show outsiders how unimportant they are is by asking questions when they obviously don’t care about the answer. For example, “Can you eat Japanese food?” is simply another way to say, “I may be a worthless piece of shit but you are an even more worthless piece of shit”. Shitting on others is most effective when they belong do a different reference group. Consequently the best people to shit on are foreigners, especially Koreans. (The reason for the Korean bashing is that deep down, all Japanese know their greatest accomplishments were undertaken by Koreans and it is one of their greatest sources of shame).

So, the question remains – what can be done about this deep-rooted insecurity? How can it be remedied? The easiest way to remedy the problem would be for Japan to come up with some original ideas. Then, it would have something to be proud of. Unfortunately this will not happen as long as independent thought is stifled and plagiarism is encouraged. Independent thought will be stifled as long as Japan hides behind homogeneity as a means to mask its collective insecurity. So, unfortunately, we are in a catch-22 situation which may never be resolved. The best solution is to not change a thing. It’s the most likely one anyway.