Self-help "Dozing in the bath leads to inspiration" — is it a lie?

Hello, this is Kasuya.



In every era the winner is

not the strongest person

but “the one who could grasp the changes of the era.”



So, what kind of era is coming

our world about to face?



The clues are in everyday life, so please consider them in your own way.

I hope you will think about it in your own way as well.



For example, what about the recently reported

news related to showbiz? How about that?



Looking back at recent entertainment news, it goes like this …



The issue of backstage “dark business” dealings by Yoshimoto’s comedians

is still lingering,

and not only the comedians, but also the agencies’ responses

and the very contract styles that lack formal agreements

are drawing criticism.



Additionally, after the disbanding of SMAP,

three members who became independent

stopped appearing on TV overnight,

and there are claims of pressure on Johnny & Associates by the Fair Trade Commission,

as well as other criticisms.



In this way, two dominant talent agencies have held overwhelming influence,

and news about them has been pouring out one after another,

and criticisms toward these two major agencies



are also audible.



Perhaps such critical voices could trigger

a change in the power balance

that might occur.



It may not change immediately,

but since the Reiwa era began, these continually reported stories

seem to symbolize the changes

that will occur in the future.





From the criticisms of Yoshimoto Kogyo’s verbal contract style,

and the Fair Trade Commission’s attention toward Johnny & Associates,

you can also sense that a trend is forming where an organization must recognize individual rights

as a priority rather than solely the company’s wishes.

The environment is starting to allow individuals’ rights to be recognized.





Of course this is still within the entertainment world,a limited sphere,

but because the entertainment industry wields substantial public influence,

if that actually happens, it could ripple into general businesses as well.







If, in the future, individual rights are more widely recognized,

it would be a source of joy for many people.





However,

if individual rights are more recognized than now,

with rights come responsibilities.



A world where individuals must think for themselves to survive

will grow even stronger.





A way of working where you simply carry out tasks given by a company

will be淘汰される (eliminated).



In particular, recently

the recruitment of foreign workers has

been increasing, so

if you’re not careful,

you could really lose your place.



A recent Nikkei Newspaper excerpt read.

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Nakao Takae, Chief Researcher at Recruit Works Research Institute (46) says,



as workers become more diverse,

the “unspoken understanding” approach won’t work

as is.

To have outstanding foreigners settle and work here,

we must rethink common sense.

Through such work, workplaces become stronger. (names omitted)

(Nikkei Newspaper, July 18 issue)

https://r.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO47438350X10C19A7MM8000?s=0

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Companies worried about talent shortages are

putting their backs into surviving and

beginning to hire more foreign workers.



Along with that, they are starting to change the traditional way of work.

That is the story.



There were various points discussed,

such as

- the possibility that individual rights will strengthen.

- but with that, responsibilities also arise.

- foreign workers become competitors.

Thus,

this is a scenario where society may begin to change.



What will you think and how will you live in the coming era?



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The abilities sought in the next era

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Based on what I’ve just shared, what will be the abilities required in the future?





“Creativity” or “inventive thinking.”



In any form, the era will inevitably change,

and what’s required to adapt to that change



is thinking differently from the past.



The same old thinking will not suffice in many situations or problems.







However,

discarding old ways of thinking is not easy, right?



Sadly, the more you strongly want to discard an idea,

the more you find yourself bound by it.







For example, with dieting,

the more you tell yourself to avoid sweets,

the more you crave them.





So, here is one method to shift your thinking.

A method you can use regardless of field to solve any problem or dilemma.



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How to acquire genuine creative power

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To put it simply, it is to utilize the “unconscious.”





Below is a quote.

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As a method to generate creativity,

self-help books often emphasize the relaxation effect

and say that it is better to relax the mind

and not think about anything.

But the Dutch study mentioned above reveals

that this is completely the opposite.

By focusing consciously on something for a few minutes,

and then not letting the unconscious be hindered by conscious thoughts,

everyone becomes creative,

and can demonstrate originality.


Richard Wiseman

'Nurturing Creativity (Bungeishunju)'

September 10, 2012, first edition

P.131-132

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This single excerpt might be hard to understand...

Our brains always put the conscious mind in the spotlight,

so the point is to let the unconscious take the lead.



Consider the following:



Concentrate on something,

then do something completely different,

as you divert the attention from the conscious mind,

you create a situation where new ideas from the unconscious

can come to the conscious level.



For example,

think very hard about something

and then enjoy a favorite game,like this.



By the way,

some readers may have found it notable that“self-help books emphasize relaxation effects.”

If you are a studious person,

you may have read in some self-help book







that “when you are idle, your brain works automatically,

and new ideas and insights are more likely to emerge.”

You may have read that.





In this newsletter, I have also shared similar ideas in the past.





Then, does becoming idle cause unconscious thinking to work and lead to insights?







Personally, I don’t think it’s a wrong idea.



In fact, when you are idle, you may suddenly have brilliant ideas pop up.







As for the brain, there is still much that science has yet to explain,



so don’t take everything at face value; first try it yourself



and see what effects you actually feel.





With that, thank you for reading until the end today as well.





Sincerely, Keizo Shimoyama