An amazing race of people!

[saidevo]

How the Japanese conducted themselves during the recent devastation

From an inspiring mail I received this morning:

1. THE CALM

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY

Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY

The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.

4. THE GRACE

People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE

Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS

Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

8. THE TRAINING

The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE

When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly

[Believer]

Saidevo, that's why I can never stop praising them. When I travel in their subways, not a single person talks on the cell phone, out of respect for other passengers. Japan is the only country where if someone approaches me to help when I seem to be hopelessly standing somewhere with an open map, I know he/she really means to help me, and is not there to rip me off or ask for some spare change after giving directions. Many a times people have gone out of their way and walked with me for 3-4 minutes to get me to a point where I could get oriented for my destination. One person who did not speak any English, took out pen and paper and drew out a simple map to show me where my destination was in relation to where we were standing. Absolutely incredible people!

[sanjaya]

I've also been greatly impressed by the Japanese, especially with regard to their refusal to resort to mass violence in the aftermath of the tsunami. Even in New Orleans we had looting, but this hasn't happened in Japan. People even wait in lines to go to the grocery store. As you say, they are an amazing race of people.

[Adhvagat]

Japanese politicians renounce because of improper donations of $600.
Brazilian politicians rob the population of $600,000 each month.

There's an abyss between these two... :rolleyes:

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Certainly the Japanese have a lot to teach the rest of us. There are remarkable stories in the wake of disaster. Still there are problems in this society as there are in all. Japanese society isn't a total utopia, as it seems some would imply.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_Japan

I'm not trying to cast darkness on a wonderful thread, just pointing out some reality. This culture makes for such an interesting study. A dichotomy, if you will.

Aum Namasivaya

[sunyata07]

Namaste,

While I agree with EM on saying no nation is a utopia, the fortitude of the Japanese has never failed to amaze me in reaction to the earthquake and the tsunami, as well as the aftermath of WWII. Regarding their politeness, the Japanese are very much a country that shows great respect for everyone, even foreigners. I don't think it wold be an overstatement if I said they are perhaps the most well-mannered society in the world.

I was also shocked at how much personal honour these people have. Several countries, along with Ireland, gave offers of aid and money donations to Japan in the wake of the tsunami, and they kindly refuse to accept any. At first, I thought it was personal pride, but then I realised how wrong I was in my initial thinking.

Om namah Shivaya

[charitra]

Pietro

" Brazilian politicians rob the population of $600,000 each month".

add couple more zeroes and then you know what indian politicians can do.