Personal Agency

The Japanese are one of the most emotional people in the world.

Certainly, the antiquated image of the Japanese is one of expressionless people―with cold hearts―who are robotic in nature―or so the historical narrative used to go.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

In this cloistered hierarchical society with esoteric relationship protocols, all outward emotions and true feeling must be kept in check, if not suppressed altogether.

ΩNE only needs to look at the history of how Japanese society evolved―and they are resigned to submitting to authority―due to the evolution of our society.

This is why realization and actualization of personal agency is of paramount importance to the Japanese during the paradigm shifts in these turbulent times.

The Japanese now have the opportunity to fuse Western ways into the Eastern mind advancing the third pillar of civilization―Japan.

Emphatically, Japanese civilization is built upon outside inputs and incremental improvements also known as kaizen.

Indeed, from the beginning, Japanese citizens are infused with community and the importance of harmonious relationships, which does not include stroking individual egos, or the idea of personal sovereignty.

Unlike those raised in the Occidental tradition, personal autonomy is fundamentally nurtured from the start―or so it was in this author's particular case.

Spot the difference:

Two kindergarten classes―one in the States―the other in Japan.

The task was simple―draw a picture of the Sun.

So, what happened?

The American children, started to individually draw the Sun right away in their own way.

Over in fairyland Japan, the Japanese children turned to the others, thus starting a process by discussing what form an orderly Sun should look like.

Only after achieving a consensus protocol, did the groups start to draw the Sun.

Assuredly, recognizing personal agency is the most important realization ever, and is the underpinning of discovery and, yes, enlightenment.

The ability to take action, be effective, influence ΩNE'S own life, and assume responsibility for all behaviour are the most important elements when navigating the volatile, unpredictable human relationships encountered throughout life.

Personal agency is essential to assume control regardless of the surrounding chaos along the one-time journey upon Mother Earth.

One must believe in the innate capacity to influence ΩNE'S own thoughts and behaviours while having unshakable conviction in one's ability to handle a wide range of tasks, problems, and situations, even dangerous ones.

Internalizing personal agency influences stability as a separate person with the capacity to be psychologically stable having flexible resiliency in the face of conflict and change.

The emotionally healthiest people strive to increase the sense of personal power by developing competence and autonomy while decreasing their dependence upon others.

For the Japanese, this takes courage and fortitude as these are unfamiliar concepts―concepts to be fused into the Japanese Way.

Increasing one's sense of competence and autonomy involves recognizing the ways to influence ΩNE'S own life without the need to control others, all the while assuming responsibility for one's own behaviour without the need to blame others.

One begins to reveal personal agency by increasing one's ability to take action and be effective in one's own life regardless of the circumstances.

Here is the secret to implement personal agency, as all destined to encounter the entire spectrum of humanity in the ephemeral animation of sentient beings.

Before internalizing personal agency one might say:

"The teacher made me feel sad."

The question to posed to oneself would have to be:

How can any other one make another feel anything unless having been granted power over another―here ΩNE has rejected personal agency.

Personal agency protocol is notoriously difficult to implement as it demands giving up all preconceived notions about everything.

Just ask Dr. Viktor E. Frankel―he will answer in earnest inside the pages of the extraordinary account of his personal interment in Auschwitz―in his unprecedented book―Man's Search For Meaning.

In order to achieve one's own value, one must first recognize and implement personal agency and the mindset of a sovereign individual contained within the framework of the Japanese Way.

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