Summary
Recently, during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Japanese players and fans always made sure to leave everything impeccable before leaving a stadium. Fans would clean up after themselves, and collect all the trash on the stands. After every match (even if they lost!), the Japanese team would not only clean up the dressing room, but also leave thank-you notes.
Story
The Japanese concept of teinei (丁寧) can be loosely translated as ‘politeness’, ‘conscientiousness’, or ‘mindfulness of others’, but the true meaning of the word extends beyond manners. To the Japanese people, teinei is, in fact, a philosophy, a way of life. It is about respecting others, being mindful of your surroundings, and having a fine eye for details.
This etiquette is such an integral part of the Japanese culture that it permeates all aspects of life – family, school, work, society, sports, and even restaurants and businesses. All abide to this guiding philosophy in everything they do – from providing the best consumer experience to producing the most refined product.
From an early age, Japanese children are taught very polite manners, both at home and at school. These include being respectful of others, especially elders, being kind and courteous, keeping everything clean and tidy, cleaning up after themselves, and collecting trash (or even bringing it home), among many other considerate acts.
Even Japanese food reflects this mindfulness of others and of the world, as it is characterized by its attention to detail and by its use of local and sustainable ingredients.
Assessing interpersonal behavior, moral cognition scientists consider politeness and compassion as “agreeable” traits, which can be viewed as the opposite of aggressiveness or cold-heartedness. Compassion reflects empathy, sympathy, and caring for others. Politeness reflects respect for others’ needs and desires, as well as a tendency to refrain from aggression. Research on the neural basis of moral cognition has shed some light on the location of these personality traits on the human brain, and found that politeness and compassion seem to share some neural resources.
Japanese athletes and sports fans are well known not only for being polite during competitions, but also for leaving sports venues spotlessly clean. Recently, during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Japanese players and fans alike always made sure to leave everything impeccable before departing. They would collect all the garbage on the stands, and neatly put it away. After every match (even if they lost), the Japanese team would not only clean up the dressing room, but also leave thank-you notes.
This story was originally published by Euronews.