Murakami

I am currently reading a memoir by Haruki Murakami called What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

As the title makes clear, it's mostly a collection of meditations on running. I have been running since November now, about three times a week. I picked up the book to hear what exactly a good author has learned after 26 years of doing the sport. I do not consider myself to be running in any serious way, but it's become a way for me to stay sane. I know that I go crazy if I spend too much time in front of a computer. Running luckily cannot be done in front of a desk.

Anyway, the book is full of short little asides that are fun to think about. Here's one:

"As I mentioned before, competing against other people, whether in daily life or in my field of work, is just not the sort of lifestyle I’m after. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but the world is made up of all kinds of people. Other people have their own values to live by, and the same holds true with me. These differences give rise to disagreements, and the combination of these disagreements can give rise to even greater misunderstandings. As a result, sometimes people are unfairly criticized. This goes without saying. It’s not much fun to be misunderstood or criticized, but rather a painful experience that hurts people deeply.

As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve gradually come to the realization that this kind of pain and hurt is a necessary part of life. If you think about it, it’s precisely because people are different from others that they’re able to create their own independent selves. Take me as an example. It’s precisely my ability to detect some aspects of a scene that other people can’t, to feel differently than others and choose words that differ from theirs, that’s allowed me to write stories that are mine alone. And because of this we have the extraordinary situation in which quite a few people read what I’ve written. So the fact that I’m me and no one else is one of my greatest assets. Emotional hurt is the price a person has to pay in order to be independent."

Murakami uses the quote to try to convey something positive. One can take the quote as a statement of sympathy with the outcasts. It's the idea that one's differences from others, the kind of differences that can cause misunderstandings, is part of the spice of life, part of the diversity of human beings. The hurt inflicted from others, their misunderstanding of you, is to be interpreted as a positive thing. It is proof that you have ideas that others do not have, and there is a power in that.

But this feel-good statement is a truism, isn't it? Being independent is usually considered a good thing, but there are always extreme cases where it might not be.

For example: yes, the racist in a progressive society has unique ideas, they will see things differently than others, and they will be criticized for their ideas. (I know Murakami is hedging by saying "unfairly criticized", but from the racist's perspective they will think they are being unfairly criticized.) I'm sure that they will suffer personal, emotional hurt due to their unique perspective. And as a result, they will also have to be independent.

Is there a use to statements like "be independent" when they are so general as to be a bit self-undermining? Everyone who hears it will agree with it. I feel that it is always true that it is difficult to live in an environment when your norms/standards are different than that of the majority of people around you. It is a personally difficult thing, and it will cause lots of emotional hurt. It's true for the person in a minority group in a racist society fighting for their civil rights, and the racist in progressive society who wants not to hire minorities. It's not always talking about an artist living in a society that doesn't appreciate their art. Sometimes it's political.

Fun fact: you can usually ruin any nice saying or quote by bringing politics into it.

Anyway, it's an enjoyable book.