What I Learned From Reading Murakami

Haruki Murakami is one of the unusual writers who enjoys a good reception from the general public and at the same time has the recognition of many literary critics. For example, if we look at the list of recent Nobel Prize winners in literature, many readers – not least those who are not so great readers – will not recognize the authors. While Murakami has not won a Nobel Prize yet, his work has certainly received attention recently.

He has chosen titles that few editors would have chosen, which shows how much detail he has put into the books. In addition, he is able to paint a portrait of a character better than perhaps any other author.

Japanese culture is a very big part of his novels. The ceremonial aspect in which Japanese people attach trust to relationships is particularly evident. Another common thread between his characters, from the youngest all the way to the oldest, is sadness. Sadness and loneliness.

In his novels, every company seems to have been random, and loneliness is the characters’ natural state. This can also have a lot to do with the author’s character, who admits that he himself is a very introverted person.

Willpower is not as powerful as we would think

A person who spends all day with his willpower has chosen the wrong path in life. Murakami approaches this topic, when it comes to training, from an extraordinary perspective. Many people who exercise daily are seen as having tremendous willpower. That may be true, at least in part, but for most people who have been training for years, they do not do it out of sheer willpower.

They do it because for them it is easier, more fun and more motivating than other alternatives. They prefer one hour of training to one hour of meetings or Spanish lessons. They prefer it over other activities. On the other hand, some people would not go through this “torture” unless their health compelled them to do so.

Another example: let’s say there is a young boy who loved to be home on Saturday nights and read at ease. For him, a night on the town would be a test of his willpower. But because of his friends, he forces himself to go out, even if he goes home as soon as he can.

It seems that everything healthy, good and advisable must also be unappetizing, unpleasant and discouraged. The opposite seems to be temptation, desires, gluttony. But this is often not true, and here we can be confused by willpower. Thus we can spend time swimming against the current, but a life like this has no meaning.

Even in injustice, it is usually a kind of justice

There are two types of people: those who eat as much as they want and do not get fat, and those who have a special ability to collect all the calories they only see in their body. Usually the first group is jealous of the second. In fact, have you ever heard of envy in the other direction?

But… this type of genetic injustice has a counterweight. People with a greater tendency to put on weight tend to pay more attention to what they eat. They think about eating a more varied diet and not torturing your metabolism with large meals. It is therefore not uncommon for an overweight person to be healthier – at least when it comes to blood tests – than a thin person.

Thus, people who are more sensitive to weight gain have an “internal alarm” that will go off more easily when it notices health problems. This is actually an advantage that we often ignore. In addition, this is just one example of how we see the negative in a situation without looking at the positive.

Being different has a price

The exponential globalization that we have seen in recent years is to mix cultures, but to a large extent also to homogenize them. In addition, our competitive world has such a great lack of creativity that the price has skyrocketed. So, somehow we all want to have our own voice, our own style. But at the same time, we want the groups we identify with to accept us. It is the paradox of wanting to work differently.

Well, the truth is, one way or another, no two people are alike. The price we pay for our differences is quarrels and misunderstandings. Yes, exactly the things we do not like very much. Like you and me, Murakami’s characters are very different and enjoy their differences, paying the same price as we do.

Do not give your freedom away to anyone

No one deserves to carry that weight or hold that privilege in their hands. When we are adults, no one and nothing deserves it. Not even if it’s a person you love or a job you love. Not only because your freedom is a privilege that is your own (within the framework of the law, of course), but also because if you give someone or something your freedom, you will condemn yourself at the same time.

Maybe in the beginning it will be okay for you, but sooner or later you will end up regretting having given it away. It will probably end or break down your relationship. You will probably stop feeling passionate about the job you used to get so much satisfaction out of.

People love each other, body and soul

Nothing is better than the author’s own words to explain his own reflection. It is that love has a powerful chemical part, but it also has a powerful physical part. To give up one of the two aspects is to hurt your self-love until it dies.

It is to condemn you to eternal dissatisfaction that will not take long to quit. Maybe we can conceptually separate soul and body, but love needs them to be a fine-tuned orchestra.

If you read Murakami’s work, you will come to your own conclusions. His characters may not talk much, but his books are fertile fields for reflection and personal growth and enjoyment, most of all.