[coldtea]

>Well it's certainly worthwhile to the Japanese people that work at these jobs for decades. Otherwise they would not do it.

Being conditioned to do something, or being forced to do something to feed yourself because few other job opportunities exist outside Japan's corporate world, are not the same as "certainly worthwhile".

Except, of course, in the sense that not getting homeless or starving is worthwhile.

[randyrand]

> not getting homeless or starving is worthwhile

Do you not consider those worthwhile!? That's like the best example of worthwhile there is!

What point are you making?

[johnnyhillbilly]

That if the employer creates a situation where you can't play an hour of guitar at home and put it on youtube without firing you, then it's worthwhile for no valid reason.

[coldtea]

That as far as worthwhile goes, that's a pretty low bar. In fact the lowest there is -- where what we do is determined by sheer immediate need and necessity.

To give an example that might sound extreme, but it's the reality for hundreds of millions in other parts of the world (and a decent tens of millions in this part of the world too) a 12 year old child can go work in factories, mines, sweat shops or even prostitute itself to sex-tourist perverts to avoid starving. That doesn't make those "pursuits" worthwhile.

Of course for a privileged or semi-privileged middle/upper-middle class person, on a steady diet of comfortable upbringing, family support, financial support net, cushy jobs, and "do what you love" kind of advice, the situation is probably so alien that what's wrong with it might not even register.

[randyrand]

Or that we're so alienated from it that weve forgotten just how worthwhile it is

[coldtea]

Yeah, we forgot how lucky it is for slaves and sex exploitation victims to be fed. They should count their blessings instead of complaining...

[randyrand]

Hard working Japanese employees are considered slaves and sex exploited? That's a pretty offensive thing to say.