tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post2783965668497341169..comments2009-07-10T16:39:52.400+09:00Comments on The Monster Flower: The Customer Is Always RightUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post-61262034171591394332008-07-10T10:07:00.000+09:002008-07-10T10:07:00.000+09:00Actually, I don't find lying strange at all in any...Actually, I don't find lying strange at all in any facet of Japanese life. It's a culture which openly sanctions lying as a means of achieving social harmony and has no moral prohibition against it. Mind you, Western cultures also permit what are deemed "white lies" (those that are told to protect others feelings), but the Christian code wags a finger at lies in general in the West. In Japan, lying to protect yourself isn't regarded as a serious ethical breach but merely a part of the tatamae and honne culture. <BR/><BR/>It may even be expected that such lies are going to be transparent to the recipient of them (in this case, my company) and regarded as the face-saving that they are on the part of the lie teller. However, it never has been that way with my former company, but that may be linked to distrust of the work ethic of the gaijin employee.<BR/><BR/>I'm glad you've made good friends with some of your students. I probably could be friends with mine if I tried (in fact, I know some would love that), but my experiences have me separating my personal and work life pretty strictly.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for commenting!Orchid64https://www.blogger.com/profile/07132543155589881288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398781353996043657.post-40880584499394079052008-07-09T12:59:00.000+09:002008-07-09T12:59:00.000+09:00That's awful that those students lied. It's stran...That's awful that those students lied. It's strange within this culture, when they know that someone else will get into trouble.<BR/><BR/>I've been lucky in the past. My closest Japanese friends now, were formally my students when I was here many years ago.Melanie Gray Augustinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01531718674624846409noreply@blogger.com