4 ms·

Massive generalization with numerous exceptions, but an ingrained belief that new is better than old, and first-hand better than used.

• ElFitz 6y ago
  Also, although still a generalization, quite a different attachment to things, especially buildings, partly due to the routine exposure to natural catastrophes. I mean, sure people are attached to old buildings and monuments, but even those can be rebuilt more or less often.
  • supernova87a 6y ago
    I don't known if this is related or a reflection of a similar cultural thinking, but there is the important Ise Jingu shrine that gets torn down and rebuilt every 20 years, even though it is conceptually like 1500 years old.
    • Tor3 6y ago
      20 years between rebuilds is just enough to transfer the knowledge and the craft to the next generation - and the craft is what they want to keep. I wrote a bit more about that in another post.
      • supernova87a 6y ago
        Yes I find that really interesting! It's one of those things (like pieces of code) where: A) You should build often enough that the institutional knowledge and practice can be handed down effectively between generations or B) Not build until it breaks and the people doing it have to rediscover and properly design it again from scratch. It's the dangerous middle ground where people need to modify/rebuild something in the meantime, but lost the practice and knowledge about how to do it properly!