It has been a long time since we were told that diversity and individuality are important.
Life is heavier than the earth, and no two people are the same. That is why it is an irreplaceable life. It is the only one and only one.
It is an original, so the logic goes, we must cherish it.
That is certainly true. I have no objection at all. However, isn’t it a lot of pressure to be required to do so on a personal level?
Have individuality. Be yourself. When people ask me for such things, I have no choice but to nod my head and say, “No, I don’t have that,” or rather, “I never had that.
I myself believe that most people do not have individuality. Unless they eat a devil’s fruit, they are within the margin of human error. I believe that forcing people to find value in such a small margin of error is a social stunt that only leads to mindless comparisons and competition.
One person’s life is heavier than the earth. No life has ever been heavier in history, nor will it ever be.
Without fear of offending anyone, is there really no shadow of “I,” apart from loving parents and children and married couples? I think it is a bit too publicized.
If you watch the news, it is obvious that there is no such thing as a “me” without a shadow. Even in the war in Ukraine, “I am irreplaceable” can be easily taken away with a single bomb in a flash.
It is on the same level as livestock, let alone the earth.
If you work in an organization for even a short time, whether it is a large or small company, you will realize that there are many people who can replace you. You are not irreplaceable, you are just a replacement.
No matter how hard you work, no matter how much you want to be gone, in six months, someone else will just be sitting in your seat. In a year, you will forget you were even there.
When that happens, you are important. Those who have been raised to believe that they are irreplaceable will feel a great sense of despair when they realize that they are nothing more than a spare person who can be replaced at any time.
In his essay “Men are Expendable,” Ryu Murakami once wrote that everything begins with accepting the first words of society, “You are helpless. But that is still the case today. In the Edo period, the word “individuality” did not even exist.
Indeed, it is only when we think about how to deal with such issues that “individuality” comes into question. Such a thing is not something you can acquire during your school days. Nor is it given to you by default.
The unique person you used to see in class is just another name for an oddball.
When I painfully realize that I am helpless as such, I suddenly envy others. They look radiant, and their stories of dreams, success, and profits must sound very dazzling. The fulfillment of their dreams and the acquisition of money can compensate for their existential helplessness.
But many of them will only be exploited and taken advantage of.
But if they despair of themselves and become desperate, they will end up not even being expendable.
I will be a shadow of my former self to society. It is a beautiful dream, nothing more than an illusion. For most people, it is just an impossible task. As a result, you will end up being used and worn out by society.
Still, I want to be recognized somehow. I want to win proof that I have lived. Even if you become a famous CEO of a venture company, an underground idol, or an influencer in a desperate attempt to do so, in the end, you will only fall into the trap of looking good and begging for approval (named by Mr. Takaaki Yoshimoto).
The phrase “have a dream” sounds beautiful, but it is the flip side of the same coin as the phrase “irreplaceable me” that lies behind it.
We tend to think that if our dreams do not come true, there is no meaning to our lives. At the same time, most of us are at a loss. They are at a loss. Is this the tragedy of our time, born of the tendency to place too much value on individuality?
It is natural for everyone to seek the meaning of life for themselves. However, it would be a waste of time and energy if we lost our lives because we sought it too much.
I don’t have any outstanding individuality, and I don’t even know if I have any individuality at all, and even if I did, it might not be worth much. But if I live, I will probably be of some use to someone. So, I think the most honest attitude is to just do what you want to do for now.
I was a little bit concerned about a song I heard by a singer who repeatedly used the phrase “I am irreplaceable,” so I decided to write about it.
I was a little concerned when I heard a song in which the singer called out the phrase “irreplaceable me” and I wrote about it.
Well, that is often only a fleeting illusion for a moment….
See you soon.
