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Advantages of modesty

Restraint (遠慮) became in the course of the centuries a central attitude of the Japanese culture. The associated, apparently non-binding nature that is perceived as cagey in the west, has the purpose to avoid embarrassing the other people. This is done by rarely expressing directly the personal opinion in formal meetings with several participants. Messages are rather indirectly formulated without words and in a vague way. Contrary to the western “the winner gets all” mentality, in which there is always just one winner, the modesty offers everybody the possibility to save their face. In the last seventy years that did not stop Japan of becoming an economic global power.

Which advantages could we exploit in the west?

  • More substance than appearance
    Many results are not really as bad as it seems at first sight. Since the involved people tend to create too high expectations in their communication and often use superlatives, even in case of eventually modest results, it is difficult to get realistic evaluations. Additionally there is not enough leeway for the evaluation of really genuine results. This leads to the fact that the protagonists actually hold high demands on themselves – I can do everything. At the same time expectations are driven into illusory heights. This kind of high expectations cannot be fulfilled any longer.
    With the appropriate modesty goals could be agreed so smart that they are really attainable. To get more substance than appearance you should use superlatives only in exceptional cases, like for example: best, fastest, safest, most reliable, most favorable…
  • Rather Daedalus than Icarus
    Icarus is the classical example of hubris. This extreme form of pride and boastfulness produce unrealistic strategies. Icarus paid with his life for it. But as long as the individual survives his misjudgment, he will plan ever more risky ventures. And if the moment of truth comes, then the responsible person leaves the place of occurrence, carries his hubris forward and turns the next time a still larger wheel. The evolving collateral damage destroys the points of reference in the respective area. The employees get infected and are likewise addicted to a presumptuous exuberance.
    With the appropriate modesty the complacent hubris would be limited to a healthy level. For this purpose you do not have to put your light under a bushel, but to follow the example of Daedalus. With the appropriate attentiveness concerning your own behavior, you have the chance to nip the hubris in the bud.
  • Avoiding colonialism
    The overconfidence leads after a certain time to a form of colonialism. The others are perceived as inferior. This steadily increasing craving for recognition needs results in ever more unrealistic imaginations. One day the colonialists are no longer taken seriously.
    With the respective modesty the momentum to heal the world with your own essence would be reduced. All actions that load the team with negative energy harm in the end you. As soon as that you understand it, you have the choice – going on as before with the risk to fail on a long-term basis or to suppress the colonialism and to make everybody successful through an appreciating interaction.
  • Avoid populism
    Populism shows up in active offenses and continual insults. The others are dumb. Only we have the truth. Thus everybody, who does not belong to, is systematically excluded. This creates resistance of the people concerned and leaves the populists in ignorant hubris.
    With the respective modesty there would be sufficient room for respect. And respect would offer the affected people the possibility to master the assigned tasks. The largest destroyers of creative power are negative messages. Thereafter the apparent revaluation of oneself does not help anymore.

Some people believe that modesty drops one back. However, since the excessive promises of the other people rarely produce satisfying results, soon the chaff separates from the wheat. The result is determined by the bar height that has to be crossed. If the bar is too high, you can only tear it. Only the fulfilled order is the order fulfilled – and eighty percent is a good result, not twenty percent.

Bottom line: Since superlatives are too often used, it is time, to try the proven Asian modesty also in the west. Thus the rising requirement attitude and only with difficulty fulfill able expectations are brought to a realistic level. That way the hubris, the associated snobbism and the insulting defamations do evolve not so often. Eventually better results are possible through the advantages of modesty, since all involved people can make their utmost contribution.

Beyond the informational bubble

If Socrates would have already known the term, one of his famous sayings would have been going like this – “I know that I know nothing outside of my informational bubble.” The fact that we cannot know what we do not know, is an uncomfortable situation. Since Gutenberg the availability of information has grown immeasurably by the mass media. Today we arrived in the Internet, where everybody can reach everybody, as long as they are found. In this complex world it is natural that the web pages are linked with like-minded ones – creationists link to creationists; supporters of the theory of evolution link to supporters of the theory of evolution. What constitutes these spheres? How can you get beyond the informational bubble?

The informational bubble is for example defined by the following aspects.

  • Consistency
    The cohesion in an informational bubble results from a consistent correlation. The individual components repeat and complement each other or even built on each other. In any case they never contradict themselves. For this purpose the necessary logic must be as simple and understandable as possible.
  • Language
    The consistency is guaranteed by a common language. The contributions always repeat a similar pattern. This leads over time to a High Context culture, which is only understandable from the outside and/or is interpreted in the wrong way. Informational bubbles subsist on their technical jargon.
  • Dogmatism
    Informational bubbles have to resist the tendency of influencing their consistency and their jargon. Different world views are as early as possible nipped by all means in the bud and are actively ignored. Repeating the contents through re-use is rewarded. Failure is defamed immediately, mostly as lack of knowledge or as lie or as fake news.
  • Internal linking
    An important function is the use of cross references within the own informational bubble. In the interest of consistency the link to opposite or other opinions is forbidden. Thus, a closed explanation system evolves that lacks openness and a discourse with other topics.
  • Filter
    The Internet insinuates complete accessibility. Therefore the net providers and the social platforms have the possibility to insert and in the meantime even the obligation to filter at any time. These filters prevent the visibility of certain web pages. Particularly countries and enterprises, which believe that they have to exercise control, can fade out undesired contents with simple measures and without being recognized immediately.

There is actually no way out of the bubble, except you have a look beyond your own nose. Additionally it needs:

  • Neutral search engines
    As long as there are overarching search engines, which can look into all informational bubbles, there is a large probability that you can look out of your own informational bubble. The problem is that one does not have any objective way of recognizing filtered contents except you get hints from other media or by word of mouth. You never know, what you don’t know.
  • General rules for filters
    In the best interest of maximum openness, rules for an open Internet should be defined. They should regulate technical blocking, the elimination of search results, the deactivation of web pages and self-censorship. In principle there are cases, in which filters are justified – pedophilia, terrorism, or the like. Unfortunately there is still no generally accepted interpretation, which web pages are to be filtered and which not.
  • Mutual tolerance
    The acceptance and connivance of other opinions is an approach, which is available for everybody, but for understandable reasons is not applied. The discussion of contrary positions would guarantee that the own approach gets more stable. Only with the appropriate tolerance, discourses become possible.

Bottom line: The informational bubble is a natural phenomenon. The common language, the necessity of consistent contents, the inherent convictions, consistent cross references and filters create an integrated approach. With neutral search engines, general rules for filters and common tolerance you can get beyond the informational bubble.