When living in society, we compare various things in different situations. From trivial matters like “Should I have ramen or curry for lunch today?” to major life decisions such as “Which company should I work for, Company A or Company B?”, we find ourselves in countless situations where we need to compare things. By making comparisons, we can understand the details of what we are comparing, their similarities and differences, and gain new perspectives and ways of thinking.
For example, let’s talk about “school rules.” When compared to school rules around the world, some interesting information emerges.
- You cannot enter school without proof of vaccination (USA).
- Children must be escorted to and from school by a parent or guardian (UK).
- Homework is not allowed on holidays (Germany).
The common purpose of these rules is to clearly define the responsibilities of both the school and the home. While the examples from the USA and UK are straightforward, the German school rule might seem puzzling. This rule respects Article 6 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, which states that “the care and upbringing of children is the natural right of parents and a duty primarily incumbent upon them.” In other words, it limits the carryover of school learning to the home.
In Western countries, the roles of the family and the school in a child’s education are generally clearly delineated, and schools do not interfere much with life outside school. How about Japanese school rules? Asking such questions allows us to re-examine things we take for granted from a new perspective, which is the true pleasure of comparison.
When comparing school rules internationally, taking things from the same time or space and comparing them is what we call “horizontal comparison.” In contrast, there is another way of comparing, which is comparing the past and present of things. For example, when alumni visit their alma mater and observe the current students, they might reminisce, saying, “This is how it was in our time” (usually praising their own era). Or when you read an essay you wrote in elementary school and see how much you’ve grown (surprisingly, your handwriting might not have changed much), these are examples of what we call “vertical comparison.”
Nowadays, we often hear calls to refrain from comparing ourselves to others. Phrases like “be the only one, not number one” are part of this sentiment. However, I believe that we should engage in “horizontal comparisons” with others. While doing this alone might foster feelings of superiority or inferiority and leave us uncertain about our own standing, it’s essential to incorporate “vertical comparisons” as well. After comparing ourselves with those around us, we should then compare our past selves with our present selves. I believe that where horizontal and vertical comparisons intersect is where we can find our true selves.
Miyuki Nakajima’s famous song “Ito” is a love song that compares the meeting of two people to the threads of a fabric, with the vertical thread representing a man and the horizontal thread representing a woman. Whenever I hum this song, I sometimes feel it is an anthem encouraging us to become people who can love ourselves.
Weaving the threads of comparison—try it for yourself. You might find that you’re not as insignificant as you thought.
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