Question from Readers:
Are people like Saito Motohiko and Ishimaru Shinji, who stand against vested interests, ultimately destined to be crushed?
The Fate of Those Who Stand Against Vested Interests
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the fate of individuals like Saito Motohiko and Ishimaru Shinji, who confront vested interests. The reality they face is never easy. Often, they are
subjected to resistance and pressure from those around them. Especially in today’s world, where public consciousness is manipulated through media like television, it is not uncommon for their voices to be suppressed by influential figures. Recently, while working part-time at a judicial scrivener’s office, I heard an interesting story from a senior colleague. He said, “In the legal world, justice doesn’t always win. Sometimes, those with power come out on top.” Indeed, it is common for those in power to employ various means to protect their own interests. Perhaps Saito and Ishimaru are putting themselves in a difficult position by standing against such forces.
The Harsh Reality and Self-Sabotage
The comment, “Better to self-sabotage than to be crushed,” resonated with me. To protect one’s beliefs, sometimes one has to make sacrifices. I myself often find that when expressing opinions in university seminars, I become overly concerned about how others will react and occasionally suppress my own views. In such moments, the learning environment can become stressful. In reality, the opinions of citizens can become cold. To protect themselves, many tend to go along with the majority opinion. We often feel the difficulty of holding our own opinions in everyday life. Especially during conversations with friends, when opinions clash, it can be challenging to express what we really want to say.
The Cry of the Heart and the Next Step
In such situations, it is crucial to figure out how to maintain our opinions and take action. What’s important is to hold onto our beliefs while also being willing to listen to the opinions of those around us. I believe that by doing so, we can gradually bring about change. Finally, what do you all think? If you have any episodes where you struggled with your opinions due to the reactions of those around you or if you’ve found creative ways to assert your views, I would love for you to share in the comments. By sharing our experiences, I hope we can encourage each other, even just a little.
