Author Topic: Japan: Explain thyself.  (Read 4487 times)

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #15 on: April 05, 2005, 11:45:34 AM »
like 42, I don't see the workoholism and the porn addiction as very distinct. It's my observation (and this is held up by most books/doctors I've referred to in learning about addiction) that when a person or society suffers from multiple addictions, the two are not unrelated. Any addiction, be it chemical, emotional, or behavioral, is quite likely to manifest in or cause other addictions as well. This is why it's hard to cure someone of addiction by simply removing their addictive substance/behavior/whatever. The dependency and addictive tendency is still there and they haven't been taught how to deal with it. Thus they will either become addicted to soemthing else, return to the old addiction as soon as it is available again, or, most likely, both.

We have an addictive culture growing in the US, too, I agree. Alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, Internet usage, eating disorders, sexual addition (like porn) are all growing rapidly and they cause many more problems than the general public will usually acknowledge. Mormons on teh board will recognize yet another logical reason for commandments like the Word of Wisdom. Any person of a tradition of even quasi-"straight edge" behaviors (Christians, Muslims, Jews, certain other philosophies and cultures) will realize yet another reason why those standards are justified.

42

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #16 on: April 05, 2005, 11:55:44 AM »
Things like sex addiction and workaholism are particularly difficuly to help someone overcome because they have way to much acceptance in our society. Plus they deal with things that are part of life, so you can't just remove them entirely like you can drugs or alchohol.
The Folly of youth is to think that intelligence is a subsitute for experience. The folly of age is to think that experience is a subsitute for intelligence.

Entsuropi

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #17 on: April 05, 2005, 12:03:24 PM »
Workaholism is a major problem here in the UK. We are growing worse for it, and it's causing friction with europe since we tend to disregard their working time directives. Almost all doctors here work 80-hour weeks, constantly, but thats also due to a crippling shortage of medical workers (and cash). But don't worry - I think it is safe to say that I will never suffer from workaholism.
If you're ever in an argument and Entropy winds up looking staid and temperate in comparison, it might be time to cut your losses and start a new thread about something else :)

Fellfrosch

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #18 on: April 05, 2005, 03:45:26 PM »
Another trait Japan and America share is the popularization of the "me-centered" ideology. More and more in America things are focused on "my rights" rather than what is right. Unfortunately focus on self justs breeds unhappiness and destructive behaviors.

The other issue that doesn't seem to be getting a lot of attention is the effect that these attitudes have on the next generation. It's hard to develop self-esteem in a family where your parents don't love and care for one another.
" If i ever need a pen-name I'd choose EUOL, just to confuse everyone. " --Entropy

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #19 on: April 06, 2005, 12:38:59 AM »
According to a couple of studies I read last year (I erad a ridiculous amount of health and lifestyle studies in my old job), Generation X (25-40 years old or so) has reversed the workaholic trend, spending more time with their families than two or three previous generations. They use more of their vacation time and tend to cite children as being more important than work (another recent anomaly). It's too early to tell if this will carry over to the next batch of adults, but it's an interesting statistic.
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42

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #20 on: April 06, 2005, 02:56:01 AM »
I think most people in the generation X catagory feel that they should spend more time with their kids, mostly out a some resentment to their parents never being around. Yet the baby-boomers, still control the work force. And since a number of baby-boomers chose to sacrifice family time for work time, they expect the same sacrifice from their co-workers/employees.

Actually, it really bugs me when I interview with a company and can tell the the person interviewing me has given-up having families for the sake of having a career. They almost always seem to imply that whoever they hire needs to be willing to make the same sacrifice. And they act like it's no big deal to give up family time for work time. I interviewed with one company where the interviewer blantantly told me how upset he was that they had to hire someone new because his old employee decided to quit so he could spend more time with his family. Then the interviewer went off on how he felt his old employee was an idiot and a traitor. In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't get that job.
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JP Dogberry

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #21 on: April 06, 2005, 06:07:43 AM »
It'll never be a problem for me since I'll never have a family.
Go go super JP newbie slapdown force! - Entropy

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #22 on: April 06, 2005, 08:51:32 AM »
Quote
It'll never be a problem for me since I'll never have a family.


Yea! Darwinism wins yet again!  

J/K couldn't resist.
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JP Dogberry

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #23 on: April 06, 2005, 08:56:05 AM »
Darwinism always wins because it just says the best to survive will survive. Which is a truism, and planly obvious.

(No the least likely to survive will be the only survivors).

ANyway, our society is backwards and all the stupid people are having kids.
Go go super JP newbie slapdown force! - Entropy

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #24 on: April 06, 2005, 09:16:23 AM »
"Why are all the stupid people breeding...
...now that the idiots have taken over..."
« Last Edit: April 06, 2005, 09:21:18 AM by Master_Gopher »


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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #26 on: April 06, 2005, 10:03:55 AM »
Here in Britain the roleplayers are putting Project: Darwinian D20 into action. Soon we will control everything.
If you're ever in an argument and Entropy winds up looking staid and temperate in comparison, it might be time to cut your losses and start a new thread about something else :)

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #27 on: April 06, 2005, 10:45:06 AM »
Britian doesn't count. Plain and simple, Darwin has already won there.
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Entsuropi

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #28 on: April 06, 2005, 10:51:21 AM »
No, no he hasn't. The chavs are starting to overwhelm the barricades, and the army is busy placing minefields and burberry caps in their path to slow em down.
If you're ever in an argument and Entropy winds up looking staid and temperate in comparison, it might be time to cut your losses and start a new thread about something else :)

Fellfrosch

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Re: Japan: Explain thyself.
« Reply #29 on: April 06, 2005, 12:09:28 PM »
I know exactly what you're talking about, 42: the harridan who ran the marketing department where I used to work was a devout anti-family-ist, and couldn't understand why some of us wanted to go home in the evenings and/or stay home on weekends. That's why the entire department quit in December.
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." --Mel Brooks

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