Hammer Time! (Does the nail that stands up always get hammered?)
Channel: Whiskey Philosopher
Date: 27/07/2020

HammerTime! 
Does the nail that stands up always get hammered? (As is the saying in Japan)

Note:
To be fair, regarding Buddhist priests, I was mainly referring to those that owned/ran the high school I worked at. I can’t speak to the appearance and spiritual veracity of Buddhist monks at large in Japan, that would be over-generalizing. 

Conversation Starter. Please join the conversation and comment:
1. Is it your experience that smaller infractions in the US are often overlooked?
2. Folks in Japan, do you agree large breakages of law or rules are often avoided by enforcers? 
3. Have you seen big variances ignored in your work or society at large?
4. Do you agree with the stereotype that Americans like to be heroes?
5. To my Japanese friends, what is your thought on this? Does the nail that stands up always get hammered? 
6. Other thoughts?

Summary:
• Kinda, but not really. The really long nails get ignored, if my experience. 
• Yes, I agree, with a qualifier. - Nails that stand up “a bit” get pounded. Tall nails are avoided. 
• My overall experience is that Japan is really good at hammering the nails that stick up just a bit. Those who break the rule or law by just a bit are the good guys. They respect authority, pay the fines, politely bow to rule. 
• However, there is often/usually no good system for dealing with huge infractions of laws/rules. Examples:
o Japan likes efficient speed traps, production line style (require large space and resources). The folks I see at the orderly tables are neatly dressed middle-class folks obediently taking the pain. I have NEVER seen a crazy car or outlaw biker pulled over in those traps. 
o Lawless bozozoku and yakuza on the roads, I NEVER see pulled over.
o HS dress code patrol
o Dojo. In that context, people are often just ignored. 
o Jobs are poor at dealing with specific problem employees. I’ve once seen a whole group of PT teachers fired instead of dealing with a single individual. 
o I’ve been told that there’s too much risk in getting involved with such a large problem and bringing negative attention to yourself in the likely outcome of failure to deal with that situation. 
o I feel US is the opposite. The reputation is we like to be heroes. Americans are more likely to give a break to those who break infractions by a small amount. We want to bag an elephant and net the big law/rule breakers. Here is just the opposite. 

#thenailthatstandsup #hammertime

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Sending cigars:
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