The Lexicographer's Rules

It is estimated that 1.2 million Japanese young people—nearly one percent of the population—live in a state of social withdrawal known as hikikomori.

Note. Some interesting tidbits on this page, sir. I’m curious if the condition named here is the same one that we know as ‘aphasia’, a state of withdrawl and unfeeling, which Wallace describes very interestingly in Infinite Jest—as you would know yourself if you would ever finish it. What interests me about the article is that there is some tie between this kind of disease (or whatever it is) and an order-based, honor-based society, as though any culture with high expectations of its people must expect that a large portion of those people will spend their time in a corner, brooding about their insufficiencies. D.M

Perhaps in a broader, less literal sense, aphasia and hikikomori could said to be the same thing, although a more specific definition of aphasia is “inability to use or understand language.” Hikikomori is more like wilful anomie, as described here. I have no intention of finishing Infinte Jest until such time as I have three weeks uninterrupted to devote to the task.

Maybe the general point is that “the vast majority of men lead lives of quiet desperation"—are unhappy in a dull, sleepy way which does not dignify the term ‘suffering’. Maybe it is mistake to attribute any condition to this sad detachment other than ‘human’. (A more accurate statement may be: “everyone lives the vast majority of their life in quiet desperation.") It somewhat evokes the founder of AA who woke to the realization that all of his countrymen were alcoholics—that this misery is business as usual—the way we spend so much time, comfortable but not content, staring blankly, alone, not wanting anything better for ourselves, but feeling acutely that whatever fulfillment may be, this ain’t it.

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?