Three English entries in a row! It must be a conspiracy!
Speaking of conspiracies, I met an actual hardcore conspiracy theorist in person for the first time in my life this past weekend. I almost hate to say it, but he even looked the part, with missing teeth, unkempt hair and a certain wild look in his eyes.
He was a nice guy, though, when talking about his wife and two children, or his job as a woodworker here in Japan. It was just when he started talking about politics that he changed dramatically. He is, by the way, an American citizen from the Midwest married to a Japanese national. We met at Jonathon's friend's house when we went to watch the fireworks. He was another guest there.
Talking to this man, it really made me think. He came to Japan ten years ago with his wife, and he didn't speak any Japanese. Naturally he looked for a job where language proficiency wasn't a prerequisite, and I suppose equally naturally, he's still at that same job to this day. Not being able to speak the local language, though, meant that it was extemely difficult to make friends, but even more importantly, to communicate freely at even the most basic level. Even saying something like, "I'm hungry," would be an ordeal.
I imagine his wife speaks English fairly well, but she was apparently more concerned with raising their children than taking care of him. After all, he is a grown man. But take away his home time and work time and most time in-between for real human interaction, and all that's left is his own thoughts.
I'm sure that at first he started out being fairly liberal, but nothing out of the ordinary. Quite like myself, in other words. However, with the help of the internet, little by little, his thoughts began to feed themselves and he turned in on himself. Little by little, little doubts and concerns became this elaborate conspiracy on the highest levels.
Now he is absolutely convinced that a certain elite class is trying to reduce the world's population to one twelfth its current size, and they are putting their long thought-out plans into action, and he's apparently even started some kind of political movement in the USA via the internet.
Was it Kant who said, "No man is an island"? Commit a man to endure nothing but his own thoughts, and those thoughts slowly deform and twist into something unrecognizable. I think it's unfortunately a natural process, but it is a sad thing to see.
Speaking of conspiracies, I met an actual hardcore conspiracy theorist in person for the first time in my life this past weekend. I almost hate to say it, but he even looked the part, with missing teeth, unkempt hair and a certain wild look in his eyes.
He was a nice guy, though, when talking about his wife and two children, or his job as a woodworker here in Japan. It was just when he started talking about politics that he changed dramatically. He is, by the way, an American citizen from the Midwest married to a Japanese national. We met at Jonathon's friend's house when we went to watch the fireworks. He was another guest there.
Talking to this man, it really made me think. He came to Japan ten years ago with his wife, and he didn't speak any Japanese. Naturally he looked for a job where language proficiency wasn't a prerequisite, and I suppose equally naturally, he's still at that same job to this day. Not being able to speak the local language, though, meant that it was extemely difficult to make friends, but even more importantly, to communicate freely at even the most basic level. Even saying something like, "I'm hungry," would be an ordeal.
I imagine his wife speaks English fairly well, but she was apparently more concerned with raising their children than taking care of him. After all, he is a grown man. But take away his home time and work time and most time in-between for real human interaction, and all that's left is his own thoughts.
I'm sure that at first he started out being fairly liberal, but nothing out of the ordinary. Quite like myself, in other words. However, with the help of the internet, little by little, his thoughts began to feed themselves and he turned in on himself. Little by little, little doubts and concerns became this elaborate conspiracy on the highest levels.
Now he is absolutely convinced that a certain elite class is trying to reduce the world's population to one twelfth its current size, and they are putting their long thought-out plans into action, and he's apparently even started some kind of political movement in the USA via the internet.
Was it Kant who said, "No man is an island"? Commit a man to endure nothing but his own thoughts, and those thoughts slowly deform and twist into something unrecognizable. I think it's unfortunately a natural process, but it is a sad thing to see.
MO さんの投稿 投稿時:
9:39 午前
3 件のコメント:
>Was it Kant who said, "No man is an island"?
Hello!
If I remember correctly, it was John Donne who said it. It was in my High School E. Lit textbook
.
Kant may have said it too, but I never read Kant.
Thanks! I honestly couldn't recall who said that originally, so I used the first name that popped into my head. Maybe I ought to research a tad more before including quotations? :)
Hey, really nice read. I wonder if that happens to many immigrants that don't end up learning the language. Well, hopefully in just doesn't progress into something that hurts anyone.
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