Japanese Guide

I have already written about American guides and polish guide. With great simplicity, it can be said that: American guides motivate the reader by referring to the PURPOSE of action, which is SUCCESS. Polish “Treaty of good work” motivates the reader by referring to the VALUE, which is GOOD WORK AS SUCH (it can be said that it is in the spirit of TAOIST). Japanese guides appeared perhaps much earlier than the American and Polish. An example is “Hagakure” (“Hidden in the Letter”), which the samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote during the time of the Polish Sejm of The Blind.

Tsunetomo is poetic and blunt. Example: “It doesn’t matter if you’re a ronin or anyone, if you’re not a man who overcomes difficulties to the end, you’re not fit for your role.” (in the English transcription it reads something like this: “Ronin de aroo to, nan de aroo to, kuroo shitsukushita mono de nakereba, yaku ni wa tatanai”).

The Japanese guide motivates the reader by referring to HONOR. The concept of honor reportedly appeared in medieval Europe and Japan. The irreplaceable J.M. Bochenski explains the difference: the code of ethics speaks of the requirements I place on myself because of others, the code of honor speaks of the highest requirements that I set myself.