I love thinking about “fun things”. I enjoy being “positive”. However, when someone says, “Atsushi, stop focusing on the negative (in Sashiko). We just enjoy Sashiko with positive thinking. Be Happy”, I find myself feeling somewhat disgusting with their “positive” words. I have been facing this “uncomfortableness” for while to see why I feel that way. It is true that being positive is good, but it makes me feel sick. Today, while on SNS, I may have found the answer.
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It is like a music concert in a public park. The Positive & Happy music on the stage is great. There are many people in the audience dancing & singing together in great joy. This great Event is possible because there are many people/workers who clean the park before/after the Happy Time. The cleaning includes dirty jobs. Thanks to those who face the “cleaning”, the positive event can happen.
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A Music Concert is a “planned” event. Sashiko is NOT an event for some Japanese: although for some, unfortunately, this is the event and therefore they can focus on the positive. Who is going to clean the mess after the party? While one is enjoying the positive, another may prepare for the dirty job: and the people who say “Be Positive” are usually the ones who do not engage in the dirty cleaning job.
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This is another extreme analogy. Everyone should enjoy Sashiko as much as they want. However, telling others who are serious in “Cultural Context” to suppress the reality (dirty job) over Positivity (Fun event) is dangerous. Well… we see the same thing in many cases, and often, privileged people (including myself) can “choose” to be positive in someone paying the price for it. Are you here to enjoy the event of Sashiko, or to enjoy Sashiko fully?
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ポジティブ思考の力は知っているつもりですが、同時に「ポジティブに考えて！」というアドバイスには不快感を覚える一人です。SNSを彷徨っていて、ふと良い例えができたので、まずは英語で紹介しました。近日中に配信でもご紹介できれば！
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2021-09-18 14:35:17
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this is such a great point and something to consider in so many different contexts. i am here to enjoy sashiko fully!
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I’m so sorry that the culture of toxic positivity impacts you so greatly.
I guess happiness can also be a matter of perspective. You can find joy in cleaning up the mess. I have found myself in that situation many times. It used to be a big bummer for me until I decided that since I had to do the job I was going to make the best of it and determined I was going to leave the place the nicest ever. And that gave me a certain degree of happiness. I guess people see positive in Sashiko because Sashiko is a wonder: it transforms any old piece of clothing into something amazing, beautiful, fascinating, pleasant to look at, and that always evokes good feelings. Besides, when you have invested a lot of your time in a detailed piece of work, motivated by what the end result will look like, you find a lot of inspiration in the process, passion oozes out of you and joy takes you over. But I agree that sometimes you have to do your work just because.
I see your point. You definitely have open eyes to all the different realities out there. Our mood is very closely related to our experiences and possibilities. That’s so true. The Bible asks us to sing with the happy and cry with the sad one. To be a helpful hand to the need of others. But there is also a willingly choice to all of our actions and sometimes a happy person can choose to be unhappy as the mind gets crazy over a topic that’s when the Bible calls us to capture each thought to check if it’s from God and with his intention to than learn to deal with it correctly. That’s the only time when we face the dirt of something and may find ourselves to correct this thinking to actually start to praise GOD for the good he has already done or provided before. That may sound like positivity but it actually is an active way of choosing GOD over mankind thinking. That’s when GOD comes in to change our life. I usually start with thanksgiving for the new day, sunshine, weather, home and even dirty dishes and the water to clean them … May GOD bless you
Such beautiful work. Your photo makes me happy. 🙂 Thank you.
Great analogy!
Is it fair to say everywhere positivity is used to suppress critical thought? At least we know for certain that the impulse, usually from higher up in a social hierarchy, to have things framed “positively” obfuscates a harsh reality ever being expressed. Under such circumstances, nausea is not extreme, but an indication that bodily, you are not fooled.
Thank you for your thoroughness in explaining all of the facets of Sashiko & Boro. Much appreciation and admiration of you and your posts!
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