Loneliness in the context of criticism of obesity

日本語バージョンはこちらから: https://note.com/consequelogy/n/nfcf56ab383f0

This article discusses criticisms of obesity and the sense of loneliness.

[Summary]
- If you feel the need to criticise others' obesity, you should consider whether you have a tendency to value others.
- The values that we value towards others and seek to be valued by others can contribute to the difficulty of living.
- If you value being valued by society, carefully choosing the groups you belong to can contribute to your sense of well-being.

[Text]
Recently, while listening to Japanese people express negatively towards obesity, I have been thinking about how being 'thin' in Japanese culture has become a means of expressing at first glance that one is 'self-disciplined'.

Personally, I would like to avoid obesity because it increases the risk of lifestyle-related diseases and causes walking problems due to the strain on joints, but I don't think that being obese is something that others should complain about.
But I thought it was interesting because many people criticise obesity as if they were talking about it.

Japan is said to be a culture that places a high value on sociability.

This culture leads to each member of society keeping an eye on each other to ensure that they are not disturbing society, so I feel that Japanese people do not hesitate to evaluate others.

As anyone who has experienced personnel management will know, evaluating others is a sophisticated skill that requires the discernment of the evaluator, but I get the impression that Japanese people evaluate others rather casually.

I think that because many people regard policing members of society as 'for the good of society', i.e. 'justice', rather than for themselves, they give priority to evaluating others, regardless of whether or not they have the skills to evaluate others.

For the Japanese, being thin is a way of expressing that you are self-disciplined and adaptable to society, and denouncing obesity is perceived as a way of contributing to the maintenance of society, isn't it?

I hypothesise that this value system, which emphasises the importance of being able to adapt to society, influences Japanese people's sense of loneliness.

This is because "classical Japanese society" is failing.

I assume that the values of the majority (not the actual population, but those who have a strong voice) of the society are basically prioritised when talking about the '00 culture', not only in Japan.

The majority in Japan as of 2024 is in the process of changing, but I think it is the 'Yamato race', 'grand', 'highly educated', 'heterosexual' and 'male'.
As there are many attributes, I will refer to people who meet these criteria as the 'classical majority'.

We believe that the so-called 'Japanese values' are the values by which a society in which the classical majority can live easily can be established.
This is the same in all cultures, only the attributes of the majority change from culture to culture.

This is a fukuzatsu because there are "quasi-majority positions sheltered by the majority", e.g. the worker who works obediently for low wages, or the chaste wife who supports her family without being appreciated, even though the classical majority is a minority in terms of actual population.

In each culture, the majorities create positions that suit them.
And that is not something to criticise if each person finds happiness in their own way, rather, I think there is no other kind of society.

However, as the fact that the third baby boom never came shows, the maintenance of classical majority-dominated values in Japan has reached its limits, and I believe that the population is increasing and cannot live happily in a society based on these values.
Therefore, it is required of the majority to be 'diversity-conscious'.

Therefore, Japanese people, who are accustomed to evaluating others and have placed emphasis on being valued by society, aim to be valued by all people, but I think this is very difficult to achieve.

As a result, I hypothesise that some people are choosing to distance themselves from a society that is difficult for them to live in and are choosing solitude, which I have been observing recently.

Governments are expected to take everyone into account, but the same values do not have to be held by individuals.

Furthermore, the habit of looking out for each other to see if we are appropriate members of society is not really suited to an age of diverse values.
If it is to be done, it should be done in small societies with members who have moderately close values.

Otherwise, no one will be happy.

Those who are tempted to criticise obese people for not being self-disciplined should review whether they have not been educated by the classical majority for the continuation of their easy-living society.
And if you have such values (because it is difficult to change them), I advise you to choose carefully the society to which you belong.

Even for men of the Yamato ethnic group, when they lose their 'grandeur' or fail to acquire 'education' or 'a secure income for the future', they are confronted with the fact that classical Japanese society is not made for them, and at that time, shifting their sense of belonging not to 'Japanese society' but to 'a community they are comfortable with' is a good way to Shifting one's sense of belonging to a 'community in which one feels comfortable' rather than to 'Japanese society' can raise self-esteem and support wellbeing, but it is difficult to do if one is accustomed to a society that holds the classical majority as the ideal.

In particular, I have the impression that many second baby boomers (today's middle-aged and older people) are more likely to be caught up in understandable, strong and simple values such as 'winning' and 'losing', due to the intense competition.

This generation's parents, who lived through the post-World War II and high-growth periods, saw the economic supremacy of the US as a "good thing". and have had their values imprinted on them from an early age, so it may be difficult for them to break away from this.
Personally, I don't think capitalism is compatible with the Japanese sense of happiness.

Incidentally, beauty, fashion and entertainment are popular in capitalist society because they are areas where 'fads' and 'images' can grow in value indefinitely, but I think it is better to separate them a little from medicine, where immortality is impossible.

In terms of turning the economy around, I think it's healthy to work hard, acquire abilities, create something of some value, sell it and get a profit from the activity, but I think you should think carefully about what you want to spend the finite time given to you in your life.