Strength of humanity in crisis...

[lph]

I think it's a difficult proposition to measure very different cultures against each other as they all have strong features in very different areas, but certainly I feel that the Japanese emphasis on politeness, calm and civil behaviour is serving them very well in situations of crisis like this, and is a great resource for the entire society.

[bikerchic]

I think it's a difficult proposition to measure very different cultures against each other as they all have strong features in very different areas, but certainly I feel that the Japanese emphasis on politeness, calm and civil behaviour is serving them very well in situations of crisis like this, and is a great resource for the entire society.

I agree with that! It always helps to remain calm in a crisis!

[badger]

I think it's partly due to the fact that the Japanese have had to weather so much before, that it's just another hurdle they have to go through. They've had devastating earthquakes before, and they've picked themselves up. They'll do it again.

When I was talking to my mother, she didn't seem concerned at all; she's going to Nagoya next Monday but her response was "it's up in the North and everything will be fine by next week".

I spoke with my cousin, and while she's south of Tokyo, she said it was the most horrifying thing she's ever experienced, that the aftershocks kept swaying her building enough for her to feel motion sickness.

Now, living in an earthquake zone that is sorely overdue for a "big one", I think we'll have a much harder time grappling with it and picking ourselves up because we've never had to deal with anything to that level before.

[NbyNW]

I think it's a difficult proposition to measure very different cultures against each other as they all have strong features in very different areas, but certainly I feel that the Japanese emphasis on politeness, calm and civil behaviour is serving them very well in situations of crisis like this, and is a great resource for the entire society.

I agree. Plus I do think that we've seen many cases in different parts of the world where a crisis can bring out the best in people.

At the same time, there is much we can learn from how the Japanese prepare for and respond to earthquakes. As a culture they have a long history with these major events and have made earthquake readiness a top priority. As bad as things are, it seems that it could have been much, much worse.

We have a different history, and a different collective memory about natural disasters in the U.S. Different geography, frequency and type of events. I'm as guilty as anyone about not having my emergency preparedness kit ready. I believe many communities have emergency plans, but how aware of them are the average Joe/Jane?