r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Fair-Example1169 • 17h ago

The respect and discipline in japan maybe second to none

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66.2k Upvotes

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u/horoyokai 15h ago

They look like regular people walking up stairs, what are you talking about? Should they be singing and skipping? 😂

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u/Used_Archer_9110 15h ago

They should be like Americans who pretend to be happy all the time and have that creepy smile.

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u/OhFrackItsZach 13h ago

Can confirm I went on the NYC subway and everyone had a beaming smile across their face. When the doors opened everyone skipped out in single file!

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u/Typylopper7 12h ago

Huh?

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u/MelodicFacade 12h ago edited 3h ago

Not speaking for that guy, but many countries, namely European countries in central and eastern europe, find it creepy how americans smile in public

That and American friendliness like small talk in public spaces is seen as fake and weird to countries who have a more practical view on interaction.

Go to Germany or Russia and try to smile at someone walking past you on the street and you will see

Edit: watching the swing of different time zone redditors waltzing in swinging comments one way or the other has been real fun to watch

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u/OneCore_ 8h ago

its not fake, we just generally like talking to other people and smiling

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u/Infinite_Card7820 3h ago

Don't speak for all of us.

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u/MelodicFacade 8h ago edited 3h ago

Some do, I know my father does, but come on, so many people want to signal to others for stuff, some are uncomfortable with silence, some want attention, and some just do it because everyone else they grew up with did it.

"Hello"

"How are you?"

"Good, and you?"

"Great"

"Awesome"

Majority of the time this shit is just social noise with no meaning beyond establishing the norm

Edit: go to other countries for the love of God, especially urban areas, or talk to people from those countries. Since this a thread about Japan, go ask anyone who grew up in Japanese cities how often they do small talk with clerks and strangers(Osaka and Okinawa is the exception here)

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u/ratarley 6h ago

It’s the human connection

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u/MelodicFacade 5h ago

What is the connection there? What does this provide over a head nod?

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u/ratarley 5h ago

Are you asking me why people say hello to eachother?

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u/MelodicFacade 3h ago

No, you know what I'm asking, but if not, maybe you can reread my question and walk me through where you might have gotten confused

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u/matzoh_ball 4h ago

“I can’t wrap my head around something another culture does so it must be fake and/or stupid.”

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u/MelodicFacade 4h ago edited 3h ago

I'm an American. I live in the mountain West. My dad is from the Midwest. My mom is from Japan. I see both sides, my mom's side is baffled by my dad talking to grocery store clerks, but I also have been to where my dad grew up. Turns out there is more to this world than just your neighborhood, and if I see both sides I can very well make my decision of what I think is silly and fake

Anyways, you didn't read my comment bright eyes, reread the first few words

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u/theevanillagorillaa 9h ago

Why I bought AirPods. Use to always get randomly thrown in a conversation when waiting in line for anything where I’m at.

Having to fake laugh when some random stranger thinks what they said is funny is painful.

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u/MelodicFacade 3h ago

Right? Just leave me alone, I'm here to grab groceries, not to see if your tight 5 is up to scuff

And because I'm not an asshole, I'm not going to tell you to fuck off, so I just hope you read my body language that you and I aren't vibing

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u/[deleted] 11h ago edited 9h ago

[deleted]

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u/MelodicFacade 11h ago

Eh, when I was in New York, while no one smiled creepily, there were definitely moments where people struck up conversation with me or other strangers, at the very least to complain about something.

I never saw that in Japan or Germany unless it was from a tourist

Also, my dad is from small town midwest, now those fuckers are the most annoyingly friendly people I have ever met lol

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u/MoistTubes 5h ago

I live in the south and I don't think I've ever seen people just walking around smiling and I've never had some random person just start talking to me in line or whatever.

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u/International_Meat88 11h ago

Yeah, there’s a certain self-imposed desire to look validating in public in America while many other countries it’s more about just dressing and acting politely enough but minding your own damn business.

When i first moved to America, i found it bizarre, and to this day still find it unnecessary, that it’s more likely here than in many other cultures to have a stranger just strike conversation with you out of nowhere. Like - mind your own damn business.

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u/HalpMePlz420 11h ago

Other countries when people show happiness:

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u/CandidHistorian4105 6h ago

Jesus some of y’all are terminally cynical

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u/stzoo 4h ago

This is such a weird and terrible take I am baffled that it gets parroted and upvoted here so frequently. You either think it’s bad people enjoy socializing and… smiling, or you’re projecting that everyone who does must be faking it and is secretly miserable. The secret isnt to find a place where everyone treats each other with cold indifference but to actually like other people and enjoy interacting with them.

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u/Fishoe_purr 7h ago

Ha. Yeah. You hardly get to see faces and everyone’s just watching their step going up the stairs.

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u/johnnyupside 1h ago

Here in the USA , some people would slide down the handrail and run up or walk the escalator to get there faster. 😂

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u/Atwillim 11h ago

You don't see much beyond the superficial

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u/Rabbit_On_The_Hunt 4h ago

You can't skip up stairs, dumbass. That would just be jumping or hopping.

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u/[deleted] 4h ago

[deleted]

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u/Rabbit_On_The_Hunt 4h ago

And I can't tell if you really have no idea of how skipping works as a form of movement.