Perception and Bias

faces or a glass?

I'm very interested in what fisher says in the text of “Perception of Self”. His statements were easy to understand when I adapted his theory to figures that were given as a visual example. Especially, "Figure and Ground" is very easy to understand with a figure that shows relationship between ground information and perception. I think that is why Fisher's theories are very abstract. I enjoyed adopting such an abstract theory into concrete example or situation with feeling deficulty. For example, in figure and ground, dividing line is important for us to perceive the whole context and the difference in a situation.

I think perception is very conected with bias. When we perceive something, we, human cannot avoid through our own filter of value. This process causes bias. Although we cannot avoid bias completely, we need to be aware of bias and it is necessary to press down the influence of bias at worst. Therefore, I thought that it was worthwhile to understand the theory of fisher to avoid bias.

Are Japanese distinctively different from the rest of the world?

I enjoyed reading “Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication”written by LaRay M. Barna. In the text Barna said 

“The Japanese, for example, have the reverse belief that they are distinctively different from the rest of the world”and “Expecting no similarities, they work hard to figure out the foreign stranger but do not expect foreigners to be able to understand them.”(「StumblingBlocks.pdf」. 19th Sept 2011. http://education.ucsb.edu/hudley/documents/StumblingBlocks.pdf.)

 Her opinion is interesting because of objectivity. I want to talk about her statements as one of Japanese.



I think Japanese place us in people who live in the Galapagos. Japanese products, for example, such as mobile phone and toilet stool are said to be Galápagos Syndrome in Japanese domestic society. Galapagos has unique natural culture and it can be said to be distinctive. But I do not know Japanese are distinctively different from “THE REST OF THE WORLD”Each person and culture is original and unique in a different way. Anyway, I hope Japanese will not be like people who lived in Easter Island.

Hermann Hesse “Siddhartha”

Hermann Hesse "Siddhartha"

"Siddhartha" written by Herman Hesse is now one of my favorite books. If you are interested in oriental way of thinking, please read it!! It could give you a lot of deep insightful ideas.

■Plot

Siddhartha and his friend Govinda took a ascetic trip. On the halfway of it Govinda decided to follow a Budda but Siddhatha did not do so. They parted from each other. Siddhartha met beautiful Kamala before long.  They fall in love and he began to live in a big city where she lived. He began to lead a life of debauchery. He, however, started feel empty gradually and decided to leave Kamala and took a trip again alone. He met a ferryman who seemed to Siddhartha to have his own philosophy of life. They lived together by the liver. Many years have passed. One day Siddhartha met Kamala and her son. Unfortunatly she was bitten by a poisonous snake and she died because of that. He tool charge of her son because Siddhartha was his father. The son acclimated to the city life so that he could not endure the life by the river and ran away from the life. Siddartha felt deep pain  but because of the pain he could reach enlightment and peace in mind.

■The reason I chose this book

I'm intersted in oriental way of thinkig and the author, Herman Hesse. About Hesse, I  knew that he was the Nobel Prize writter. This book's name is same as Buddhism  founder Gautama Siddhartha. I thought that the philosophy of life of Hesse would be written to this book in a certain form, and I got interested. 

■Reaction

In Europe people tend to think truth is in the another world. I mean like Plato's idealism, that truth is logically considered to be in the place which transcended the real world. On the other hand, in the Oriental world, people tend to consider that truth is in self. Therefore, by noticing how little he knew about he himself Siddhartha became a man and a seeker of enlightmen. It seems interesting to me that he could love the world by getting to know oneself, who is the minimum unit in the world. 

Why could Siddhartha be enlighted? I think it is because he did not ask for teachings. Predecessors have various teachings. Probably, some of them express truth. However, wisdom differs from knowledge. In order to obtain wisdom, it is important to experience by oneself and to obtain the teaching of oneself. Wisdom is the combination of experience and deep insights.

It was remade in the U.S. in 1972 as a movie "Siddhartha". If you are interested in the book or whose story, please see the movie. Actually i haven't see it but it must be worthwhile because it won a Silber Lion award in 1972.

Summer Vacation and Autumn Term

Summer vacation has gone and autumn term has come. I want to write about my long summer vacation and what I want to get from ARW Autumn.

■Summer Vacation
Very long. It was very long summer vacation. I think that I could do what i can d only now, for example I went to Tohoku as a volunteer in July and went to Tsuwano in Shimane pref. 


We did questionnaire investigation into provincial foods and original culture of Tsuwano. Many inhabitants answered questionnaire pleasantly. They told me about not only these topics but also memory of their childhood,  hobby, their grand child and so on. It was first experience for me to talk with unfamiliar people. I think it was very valuable experience for me.




■What I Want To Get from ARW Autumn
ARW is a kind of writing class. In the spring term I learned the differences in construction between English academic writing and Japanese academic writing. I was very surprised at these. This term I want to write well organized writing.