Well, about as sad as poor repressed Americans, which leads to things like the USA Olympic Gymnast team doctor molesting what, something like dozens and dozens and dozens of girls? America’s relationship with sex is so bizarre, I’m not even sure where to begin. Or what about what leads to someone machine-gunning a concert in Los Vegas.
The reality is, the human condition in many places around the world is bizarre. The Japanese spin on it though, well, it just has some unique qualities. Was all I was saying. I really don’t think Japanese are in particular more or less repressed than many other cultures.
True that repression isn’t isolated to certain cultures. It’s just part of
the human condition. I was really remarking more on the UNIFORMITY with
which it exists in Japan, since conformity is one of their cultural
virtues. There’s a national saying to reflect this: “The nail that sticks
out gets hammered down,” though they do enjoy a low crime rate, as one
positive side effect.
Cultural programming actually DOES produce a higher rate of repressed
individuals, since there’s the pressure to conform to that paradigm. It’s
the brainwashing process, as you’d witness in some very conservative
religions, as an example. Fortunately, anything learned can be unlearned,
if determined enough.
