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Here's something else we can learn from the Japanese. I'd very much love for this to happen. They no longer observe Daylight Saving Time in Japan. Fewer things would thrill me more than seeing Daylight Saving Time abolished. Despite what some people say, it doesn't save energy. Benjamin Franklin was a genius, but so was Thomas Edison. The sun doesn't stay up any longer during the summer, and more energy is still consumed. Daylight Saving Time causes all kinds of problems like jet lag, heart conditions, and other ailments.
I have a list of several things Americans can learn from the Japanese. These are among many of them.
1.) How to respect our elders, parents, and authority figures.
2.) The importance of a strong work ethic.
3.) The value of a good education.
4.) Strong family values and solidarity.
5.) Better eating habits and exercise routines.
6.) How to appreciate ingenuity, intelligence, and creativity.
7.) After these waves of bullying in schools, HOW TO DISCIPLINE OUR KIDS should be top priority.
8.) How to let teachers do their jobs would be another.
9.) How to use birth control and contraceptives.
10.) How effective universal health care is.
11.) How to respect the environment.
12.) Zen living in peace and harmony.
13.) How to not be so greedy and pay people what they're worth.
14.) The importance of honor and integrity.
That's all I can think of for now. I can honestly say they make Americans and other Westerners look like barbarians in many ways. I was astonished to see how respectful they were compared to us. Over there the average CEO makes 40 times the salary of one's employees. Here, they make more than 800. Then whenever we spend our tax dollars to help out the poor and working class, they call it "socialism" yet when we give tax cuts to the rich, it's good for business. Keep in mind how a society treats those less fortunate is a large reflection on its cultural values.
Over in Japan, a man's worthiness is measured by his honor, his work ethic, and how he treats his fellow man. Here it's by his social status, his net worth, and his popularity. I'm not saying the Japanese have the ideal society. Indeed they have their share of problems. All I'm saying is there's a lot we can learn from them. There's obviously a reason why their automotive industry brought itself up to par with ours.
You sure about that?
Isn't it in Japan, where they hire people to attend their weddings -- to look like they have friends -- because they work so much?
Don't Japanse men treat their wives with disdain? Don't they have mistresses?
Don't they sleep in separate rooms?
Don't they have odd sexual fetishes (yeah, THOSE vending machines)
Don't they treat foreigners (gaigin) with disdain? Not to mention what they think of Koreans & Chinese.
You sure about that?
Isn't it in Japan, where they hire people to attend their weddings -- to look like they have friends -- because they work so much?
Don't Japanse men treat their wives with disdain? Don't they have mistresses?
Don't they sleep in separate rooms?
Don't they have odd sexual fetishes (yeah, THOSE vending machines)
Don't they treat foreigners (gaigin) with disdain? Not to mention what they think of Koreans & Chinese.
What is your exposure to Japan & Japanese people?
You don't think it could be possible that people and societies can have both positive and negative traits?
That it is possible to pick up some good ideas and techniques from someone and leaving the stuff you don't want?
It's not just the French that use the metric system. They do it all over the world. The British, Canadians, and Aussies all converted to metric during the 70's. Why should we use it? Because math is a universal language, and the whole purpose of communication is to be understood. Thus, it would simplify everything regarding temperature, weight, height, and volume because we'd all understand one another.
If they didn't land on the moon, I find it interesting how people have seen golf balls there with telescopes and the American flag which Armstrong and Aldren mounted there. There will always be people who are skeptical. In fact, there are some who still believe the earth is flat while others think it's shaped like a donut. Nonetheless, I suspect most Americans and foreigners are all convinced that the first human to land on the moon was Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969.
Agreed but its not just Math, but Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Medicine. These are all universal languages, arts and sciences. The importance of the metric system in these fields is very significant.
You don't think it could be possible that people and societies can have both positive and negative traits?
That it is possible to pick up some good ideas and techniques from someone and leaving the stuff you don't want?
Of course, every culture has great ideas and techniques, and some not so great. I haven't seen the OP mention a negative trait yet though, maybe I missed it.
I find the Japanese culture fascinating, and through work have a fair amount of contact with Japanese "Salary Men", as well as friends who are Japanese who have relocated to Australia.
They weren't desperate to get out because it was a social utopia.
Of course, every culture has great ideas and techniques, and some not so great. I haven't seen the OP mention a negative trait yet though, maybe I missed it.
I find the Japanese culture fascinating, and through work have a fair amount of contact with Japanese "Salary Men", as well as friends who are Japanese who have relocated to Australia.
They weren't desperate to get out because it was a social utopia.
No, it isn't. Although every country have people who emigrate and people who immigrate these days. We have a lot more freedom to find a country that suit us when we are badly fitted to our original one.
My point was that the presence of negative traits do not lessen the value of positive traits.
Why do we need the metric system? We're doing just fine without using French measurements.
Actually you are using french measurements! Imperial is a french system- Metric is actually a British system. Just because joe public thinks imperial is fine, most technical people hate it- just ask any scientist, engineer, architect etc what they think of imperial measurements.
Actually you are using french measurements! Imperial is a french system- Metric is actually a British system. Just because joe public thinks imperial is fine, most technical people hate it- just ask any scientist, engineer, architect etc what they think of imperial measurements.
Not quite.
Metric was actually developed by people from various countries, but is most strongly associated with France because that country largely standardized it and implemented it. Meetings about the Metric system are held in Paris and the official acronym for the Metric system, SI in all languages, stands for système international.
The U.S. customary units, or Imperial measures or English measures, are very close to the British system of measurement.
Note that Britain, like the U.S., has only gone part-way in the implementation of the Metric system. Most stuff is still in imperial measures there, partly because they are widely seen as Britain's own.
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Agreed but its not just Math, but Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Medicine. These are all universal languages, arts and sciences. The importance of the metric system in these fields is very significant.
