Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin
In regard to the apologies...
I think we all need to step back and realize some very important things in this discussion.
First, the original example was not a natural one. Tsuwabuki did his best to sort of change it into the style of apology he does make, and would expect from someone else. I think it is unfair to judge things based on that example.
Second, this style of apology has clearly worked for him and in his surroundings outside of Japan. This isn`t really a discussion about why people aren`t accepting his apologies, or why people think he has strange expectations when it comes to apologies.
There is no "right or wrong" in this. There is only cultural difference - something that exists even within the same language and the same country. It is an interesting subject because we can compare these differences, and see some of the reasons that they clash - even when the sentiment behind them is similar. It`s also not something that is talked about in depth all that often.
There is nothing wrong about his apology style, just as there is nothing wrong in mine, MMM`s, MissMisa`s, etc. There is just a difference between what is normal in our lives and locations. I probably wouldn`t be happy with Tsuwabuki`s apology or if he expected that sort of apology from me - but I`m sure that it is the other way around in his case. He wouldn`t be satisfied with mine or my expectations. This is where cultural stress emerges, so it is a wonderful thing to find the conflict points and understand the thinking behind them.
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+1
Hear, hear!
This is precisely why I started the topic in the first place. To identify culturally induced feelings I have when confronted with modes of thought that are different from my own.
Apologies and gender issues took on the forefront, but some of the others are just as connected. I can't eat things that look at me. I find it creepy. My Japanese peers have no issue. I cannot eat natto because I associate the sliminess with things that are either not food or are food that has spoiled. I have trouble driving on Japanese roads because they seem tiny, curvy, without the "safety features" I associate with properly built roads, and so I get scared when driving on them.
This is all about cultural association. What feelings and meaning we attach to words, actions, tastes, smells, even architecture.
I think it is a good discussion to help us understand each other better.