← Japan A Model Of Peace And Positivity FromJapan A Model Of Peace And Positivity From
Ch 19 — Collective Action
English · 1 min read
Collective harmony is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture and practices. Whether in families, factories, small enterprises, or large institutions, harmony has become a distinctive feature of the Japanese character. As Japanese affairs expert William Ouchi states:
original + quoteOriginal text with a quotation or mention inside it
“Every activity in Japan is a group activity and not a springboard to individual glory and personal advertisement.” (The Hindustan Times, February 16, 1986)
other sourceWords of another person or source
In Japan, every activity is a collective endeavour; no activity serves as a means of individual glory or personal promotion.
This characteristic of the Japanese is the greatest secret behind their national development. Greater progress is always achieved when a large number of individuals work together. The main obstacle to working collaboratively is that individual personalities do not emerge. A nation whose individuals are inclined to develop their identities will never succeed in unified action and thus will not achieve significant progress.
The simplest way to attain substantial development is through unity. Unity transforms one into many, amplifying the effort exponentially.
THE ONLY PATH
The journey of life is never a smooth path. Life is filled with accidents and hardships that impact both individuals and nations. This is a system established by the Creator. Avoid complaining and focus on finding solutions and persevere despite challenges. It is the only path to success.
In Al-Risala (March 1988), there is mention of a Japanese engineer, Shogo Katakura, whom I met in the Maldives. In response to one of my questions, he said that Japan’s geographic conditions have instilled in the Japanese a mindset of constantly seeking new ideas. Frequent changes in weather, along with recurring earthquakes and storms, repeatedly present new challenges. This compels the Japanese to think of ways to adapt to changing conditions continually.