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I think it speaks volumes to how positive peer pressure, in more ways than one, can force people to shape up. So the key takeaway is the positive peer influenc

by ky3 14y ago

I think it speaks volumes to how positive peer pressure, in more ways than one, can force people to shape up. So the key takeaway is the positive peer influence, not so much Japan and its whatever-ness. There's a certain dream about playing hard, working hard, and getting swept along with it. Smalltalk included.

cyanoacry 14y ago
This is definitely true, but I've been hard-pressed to find a similar environment in the States, even in labs and hackathons. There's an almost oppressive social pressure to getting the job done in Japan, because you _must_ work as hard as your boss, who is working as hard as their boss, etc. A lot of people fight back against the sort of no-frills culture I saw (Google perks, work-at-home attitudes, etc.), so it surprised me that it was so efficient. A part of me expected cubicles and quiet work environments to force an Office Space result.