Conflicts begin with the question, “Which side is right?” Instead, let’s discuss, “Which side is more enjoyable.” It may not seem like a big deal, but it’s actually quite a significant topic.
Many find my way of living peculiar. My way of thinking, behavior, and the company’s management approach are completely different from the norm. The reason for people’s unhappiness lies in their criterion of judgment: “Which side is right?” For me, it’s all about, “Which side is more enjoyable?”
The difference between “Which side is more enjoyable?” and “Which side is right?” is quite significant. For instance, consider wars that start with debates like, “Is communism right, or is liberalism right?” It often leads to arguments. The root of conflicts lies in the question, “Which side is right?”
In truth, what matters is saying, “You believe in communism, and many people think it’s good, so there must be something good about it, right? I find my freedom under liberalism quite enjoyable.” If both parties are happy, then it’s fine.
While people argue about what is right and wrong, I focus on what is enjoyable. If I pursue happiness, my perspective becomes completely different.
I make choices by considering what will genuinely bring joy in the long run. I apologize for suddenly talking about national and ideological matters; let’s return to daily life.
When I tell people that I base my decisions on what brings joy, some find it dangerous. The reason is that those who feel that way are not genuinely choosing what brings them joy. For instance, it’s fine to say, “Buying clothes using a credit card brings me joy.” However, the problem arises when you buy too much and face the payment later. If you don’t find the right balance, it stops being enjoyable.
Take the example of not going to work and sleeping instead. While it’s fine to sleep, you’ll end up getting fired, and you won’t be able to afford food. If you take a 4 or 5-day break and return to the office, your seat may be gone. So, you have to think one step ahead and choose what is genuinely enjoyable.
If you emphasize too much on what is right, you’ll end up suffering. People cannot live their lives strictly based on what is right. Do you understand?
Sometimes, there are people who appear gloomy while doing volunteer work or something similar. They might not want to do it, but they do it because they believe it’s right. If they judge their volunteer activities based on “what is right,” they might end up being unable to forgive those who disagree, thinking, “I’m doing the right thing even though it’s so difficult.” However, when they are doing what they genuinely enjoy, they are smiling.
But when you start comparing “Which is right, going to play pachinko on Sunday or doing volunteer work?” you end up in a lot of pain. Can you see that?
So, in my company, for example, when I suggested having a speed-eating competition, if you think, “Winning is right. I must not lose.”, it becomes painful. If you say, “It’s fun to win,” then only one person out of ten will be happy. It’s like that in everything; the rest won’t enjoy it.
Instead, it’s better to focus on enjoying it. If you have fun, even spending 300 yen and playing for a day becomes immensely enjoyable. You’ll be happy, whether you win or lose. Everyone can smile when they win, but the real challenge is whether you can smile and say, “That was fun” when you lose.
So, start with enjoying things, and you’ll find that everything becomes much easier. Which one will bring joy? How can we make it enjoyable? Because when it’s enjoyable, work becomes easier.
Returning to the discussion about work, think carefully about this: If you were incredibly wealthy and had no financial worries, it would be a different story. But for us, who must work, if we think that going to the company is the easier option, then we should focus on enjoying the work. Which one will bring joy?
By the way, the Chinese characters for “enjoyable” and “easy” (as in “relaxed”) are the same, but the order matters. When something is enjoyable, work becomes easier. Some people don’t mind working late into the night because they enjoy it. On the other hand, those who are not having fun try to find ways to make work easier. They are essentially rejecting the characters’ true meaning. Do you understand?
If you try to make something easy because it’s not enjoyable, it becomes meaningless, and that’s when you encounter hardship.
If you want to take it easy just because you’re not enjoying it, you might end up in a company that seems relaxed but constantly think, “I wish it were 5 o’clock already.” It becomes incredibly tough and painful.
When something is enjoyable, work becomes easier. However, if you try to find an easy place just because you’re not enjoying it, it becomes meaningless, and everything becomes chaotic. And that’s when hardships start to emerge.
コメント