४ मार्च, २०२४

"Too much choice is not a good thing. The anxious person is the one who doesn’t know what to do because..."

"... she can do so many things. The neurotic individual is paralysed by the sense that he can’t make the right decision because another one is always available to him. The apparently limitless options afforded to us by dating apps and social media has not made us more content; it has merely intensified our longing."

From "Make coffee. Shower. Clean the loo. In an age of choice, rituals are the key to happiness/Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days is on to something with its depiction of main character Hirayama’s calm, habitual life" (The Guardian).


From The Guardian review of the movie:
There is a Japanese word, “komorebi”, which was the original title of the film. Literally translated, it means “sunlight leaking through trees”, but there’s more to it than that. It speaks of a profound connection with nature, and the necessity to pause, to take the time to absorb and appreciate the perfection of tiny, seemingly insignificant details. [Hirayama, the main character in the movie] has not only grasped all of this, he has made it the keystone of his essence. He sees all things, all people, as equally important, with an equal capacity for transcendence. While other pedestrians ignore the vagrant who camps in a park, Hirayama watches in wonder as the man moves in his own dance of self-expression. And the toilets themselves, although humble in purpose, are architectural gems.... 
Perfection, the film argues, is found in a pared-down approach to the world and a rejection of the thirst for new sensations and novelty that drives so much of society... 

३४ टिप्पण्या:

Todd म्हणाले...

Sorry, not me. I would far rather have many choices than limited or few choices. With freedom comes responsibility (same as with choices). To my mind, limited options means others have more control over me. I am a grown up and can decide for myself, thank you very much. I tend to view someone that is unable to make up their minds (pick a choice) as being immature. Put on your "big boy" pants and pick one!

That said, there is a difference between choices and choices that are purposefully presented in a complicated and confusing manner. In which case the number of choices is less important than the "framing" of the choices. I see this most clearly in state amendment proposals where the presenters are often trying to purposely word the amendment in as confusing and often misleading way as possible to get the "rubes" to accidentally approve it, since they could not get it passed in more standard ways (via legislature).

Ann Althouse म्हणाले...

"Sorry, not me. I would far rather have many choices than limited or few choices...."

But might one not freely choose a simple set of things and live life as a ritual?

Todd म्हणाले...

But might one not freely choose a simple set of things and live life as a ritual?

Sure, "you do you" is a great position to take and I don't mind what others do as long as it has little to know impact on what I want to do. If you "choose" to live simply and a simplified life, more power to you but I would prefer that it was a deliberate choice made vs a choice made to run from choices due to fear of making the wrong choice or because it appears to be "just too confusing".

Knowing your options and picking one deliberately is the peak of personal power and self determination.

Kakistocracy म्हणाले...

Beautiful enjoyable film and the architecture of 16 extraordinary public toilets, designed by the likes of Toio Ito, Shigeru Ban and Tadao Ando is shown through the eyes of a cleaner. I thought that final shot of his facial expressions was so powerful, what a fantastic actor! I didn’t know much about what the story would be going in and the character choosing to live life on his own terms, in spite of family/culture judgements.

gilbar म्हणाले...

The apparently limitless options afforded to us by dating apps and social media has not made us more content; it has merely intensified our longing."

limitless options afforded to us by dating apps have made it TOO EASY to think you can do better
fify

the majority of women on dating apps consider 80% of men to be unattractive..
Because they can LOOK At the hunks.. Sometimes, they can even get laid by a hunk..
The hunks aren't interested in them (because the hunks have their choice of ALL women), so the woman goes home to her cats.
https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/45-percent-women-are-expected-to-be-single-and-childless-by-2030

This is FINE though.. It's FINE that the human population is dying out; in fact, it's ALL Part of the plan!

gilbar म्हणाले...

i'm ALWAYS immpressed, when an Althouse reader says: "Sorry, not me!"
After all! if you are a successful (RICH) retired person that already lived YOUR life..
WHY should YOU give a sh*t about modern problems?

i really doubt that your readers can accurately remember what Their lives were like growing up..
i am SURE that your readers Have NO IDEA what being young in today's world is like..
But, it doesn't Even matter to them, THEY MADE IT! F*ck Everyone ELSE!

Temujin म्हणाले...

It looks like a film I'm going to enjoy watching.

As I've gotten older, I find more fulfillment in the simple things. And while my 'To-do' lists are things I lived on for decades- both in work and my personal affairs- these days...I pare it down to very simple things. There are some things, I suppose, you could call them 'rituals', which become part of my day. One of them is to take time to note- and gain pleasure- from the simple things around me everyday. We're talking very small, simple things, like a new branch shooting out from the top middle of one of our palm trees. Another would be taking part in this blog. An almost-everyday ritual. (I do at least read it daily, even if I don't take part.)

But I have noticed that both my wife and I are less inclined to want to TRAVEL THE WORLD now, as opposed to really appreciating our home and neighbors and city we live in. Loving it and the beauty of the area around us (Gulf Coast). And not so much longing for that trip to Italy anymore. Wishing to get to that nature preserve down the street more, or our botanical gardens with camera, or just a couple of hours at Siesta Key to take in more sunsets, as each one is unique (as you know). I find we are consciously working on making our world smaller, not larger. And loving the direction it's going. And we find our days are full. Where we once somehow were workaholics, filling our days with that, we are now focusing on our own lives in smaller pieces. And the days are still full, only much more enjoyable.

I think it's an age thing. It's a 'time of life' thing, of course. We put in our work years, so we are in a different place now. We're healthy and active, but we're maybe tired of running. Looking for peace now. Fewer things, less need to check off boxes, and knowing that right here, in my own backyard, is a world full of interesting people to talk to or just watch, and natural things to view and imprint.

Gilbar, this must really piss you off. It's not that I have no concern about the current generation's fight through life. Well...yes, maybe that is it. What annoys me is a generation thinking it's the only generation who has had these questions, these fights, struggles, and insecurities. Modern insecurities are ridiculous by world history standards in which most humans barely made it to age 30 without being speared or beheaded, raped, or just laced with an incurable disease. We have so much now. Too much. Maybe we're due for a little reminder of how good we have it, or had it.

rehajm म्हणाले...

I will seek out the movie once I can watch without a fee. I predict for lefties they see a glorification of the idea the deodorant aisle is too long. Republicans would be happy seeing lefties clean toilets.

I could be wrong. It looks like a riff on that homely and terminal but eternally happy British woman from a few years ago…

iowan2 म्हणाले...

Ive seen it in business.

Analysis Paralysis

"whats your decision"?

"I'm running the numbers" or "there's a meeting Tuesday"

The problem is not if the decision is wrong, but rather fear of what others think should a different decision, yielded different results.

The fear of what "others" might say.

rehajm म्हणाले...

We tried to watch people feed Phil this week. In previous seasons there was some joy in the optimism of just eating stuff and learning about the people that made it. The humanity! The exception was the political bliss of Copenhagen- free everything, swim in the harbor, subsidized community for addicts, all are welcome. Denmark cracked down on that shit right quick when they amazingly realized it was unsustainable…but I digress. This season Phil is a political hack- DC with a mopey Jake Tapper and nearly dead Norman Lear who has lost hope…because Trump. Orlando gay guy hates his state’s policies enough to whine on a Netflix show but not enough to move to California. Fuck you, Phil…

Rocco म्हणाले...

Gilbar said…
“the majority of women on dating apps consider 80% of men to be unattractive.”

I think that is a generous assessment. If male beauty was a central driver in human society, we would have all died out long ago. That’s not to say it isn’t a factor; just generally not a major one. Just look at Gene Simmons and Shauna Sand.

And once a woman is in a relationship, she tends to look more favorably on her partner’s looks, anyway.

But as gilbar pointed out in the rest of his post, the normal processes have been broken in favor of what you can see in a dating profile.

Old and slow म्हणाले...

After my last trip to the cinema, I swore I would never go back. It was the new Wllie Wonka movie, and I went with a child. It was probably the worst, most insipid piece of trash I've ever seen. I may go see this. The last good movie I saw was Death Of Stalin.

Sydney म्हणाले...

I haven’t seen this movie, but I’ll put it on my list of movies to watch. The beauty of simple routine was also evident in the movie “Into Great Silence” that followed a community of monks in the alps through their daily routines.

Rusty म्हणाले...

Ann Althouse said...
"Sorry, not me. I would far rather have many choices than limited or few choices...."

"But might one not freely choose a simple set of things and live life as a ritual?"

Aren't our lives ritual anyway? Making coffee. making the bed. Taking a shower. most of us do those things in an order which is ritual. You have a ritual of sitting down and writing this blog. Preperation is ritual. You and Meade have a ritual for getting the camper ready. All our rituals are there to prepare for what we do next.

tim maguire म्हणाले...

The description of Perfect Day makes me want to watch it. The trailer makes me wonder why anybody would ever want to watch it.

Dagwood म्हणाले...

Definitely Criterion Channel material. Which isn't a bad thing.

Heartless Aztec म्हणाले...

In my 70's life is already a ritualized dance of small things and experiences framed by all the things I no longer can do. Age simplifies life's path if you allow it to.

Michael म्हणाले...

All well and good until the Government decides they’re providing a benefit by limiting your choices.

n.n म्हणाले...

The Pro-Choice ethical religion is a liberal outlet with anxious, green acolytes who have taken a knee to profitable secular profits in the social industrial complex with pharmaceutical adjuvants.

AMDG म्हणाले...

gilbar said...
i'm ALWAYS immpressed, when an Althouse reader says: "Sorry, not me!"
After all! if you are a successful (RICH) retired person that already lived YOUR life..
WHY should YOU give a sh*t about modern problems?

i really doubt that your readers can accurately remember what Their lives were like growing up..
i am SURE that your readers Have NO IDEA what being young in today's world is like..
But, it doesn't Even matter to them, THEY MADE IT! F*ck Everyone ELSE!


3/4/24, 6:06 AM
—————-

No, what I can’t imagine what my parents went through. The first twenty years of their lives were spent dominated by the Great Depression and then WWII.

What today’s kids go through is nothing compared to that.

Howard म्हणाले...

If you get anxiety from too many choices, that's a sign that you've got underlying mental disorders. Therefore, limiting choices is just treating a symptom and not the root cause of the mental problems.

By the way, Wim Wenders is a fabulous director. He is a German contemporary of Werner Herzog, Rainier Werner Fassbinder, Volker Schlondorf and Margarita vot Trotta.

My favorite Wenders film is The American Friend, a Ripley (Patricia Highsmith) film noir starring Bruno Ganz and Dennis Hopper.

Aggie म्हणाले...

The concept of choice is the most under-celebrated and under-appreciated aspect of American culture. Having the freedom to choose, to select from an endless array of alternatives, forces the person to make an informed decision, and to filter out a ton of noise, if they're to continue to grow. A lot of people get lazy and adopt a 'close enough' philosophy, where 'close' is pretty subjective. The freedom to choose from that endless array: Imagine what that would have meant to anybody living 500 years ago. We are blessed, and wealthy beyond their ken.

Rusty म्हणाले...

gilbar
Maybe we should instead be talking about gratitude. An under represented virtue. We have been blessed many many choices, but are we grateful for them.

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

One disturbing thing I have noticed about the older relatives in my life is their increasing inability to make decisions about literally anything. I wonder if we aren't getting unhappy about choice because the ability to be decisive is one of the things we lose as we age, and our society is getting older every year.

CJinPA म्हणाले...

Perfection, the film argues, is found in a pared-down approach to the world and a rejection of the thirst for new sensations and novelty that drives so much of society...

For once, I agree with The Guardian. Find fulfillment in basic things. It allows you to strive for more knowing that you've already attained happiness.

CJinPA म्हणाले...

Perfection, the film argues, is found in a pared-down approach to the world and a rejection of the thirst for new sensations and novelty that drives so much of society...

For once, I agree with The Guardian. Find fulfillment in basic things. It allows you to strive for more knowing that you've already attained happiness.

JAORE म्हणाले...

Well, Bernie complained we have too many choices. IIRC deodorant was one of his examples. What a great celebrity endorsement. We could sure use a Federal Bureau of Underarm Treatments.

Me? I like choice. So you choose what you want so long is I can still make mine.

charis म्हणाले...

That looks like a lovely movie. Now is now. I have a finite, ever-shrinking quantity of now remaining.

Simplicity, ritual, finding wonder in the ordinary, these are keys to contentment.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Tokyo toilets are the best in the world...can confirm.

I wonder why it's in English on his overalls?

Might see this one. This kind of 'tone' makes me nostalgic for Japan...

***

There is a tie-in to intelligence. One might be happier being a not-so-smart line worker in a factory than a genius working in tech.

You don't know what you don't know...

***

The screen shot makes him look like an Asian Mike Lindell : )

Ampersand म्हणाले...

Convents and monasteries epitomize the notion of lives voluntarily devoted to thoughtful repetition of outwardly mundane activities.
OK for some.

Mason G म्हणाले...

"But might one not freely choose a simple set of things and live life as a ritual?"

One might so choose. Unfortunately, too many of those who would so choose are far too eager to make the same choice for others.

loudogblog म्हणाले...

They have to be positive, or at least neutral, rituals to be of benefit. After all, some people's daily rituals can involve negative or destructive behaviors.

Also, remember that Devo song, Freedom of Choice?

"In ancient Rome
there was a poem
about a dog who found two bones.
He picked the one.
He licked the other.
He went in circles.
He dropped dead.

Freedom of choice
is what you got.
Freedom of choice.

Then if you got it, you don't want it,
seems to be the rule of thumb.
Don't be fooled by what you see.
You got two ways to go.

I'll say it again in the land of the free,
Use your freedom of choice.
Freedom of choice."

Iman म्हणाले...

They say the fittest shall survive
Yet the unfit may live

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

That explains me watching YouTube instead of the myriad of movies and shows on my various streaming queues.