日々の生活の中にちょっとした不安や心配があったとしても、とにかくこの世界に生まれたこと自体か奇跡なのだから、まずはそこに感謝するべきなのだ。

Even if there are small anxieties or worries in daily life, the very fact that one was born into this world is a miracle, so one should first be grateful for that.

いくら苦しい状況でもとりあえず感謝せよ、と言われることで、本来、家族や社会あるいは時の権力に対して持つべきだった疑問、行うはずだった抗議も①口に出せず、「これも運命なんだ」と受け入れてしまう人も増えてしまうのではないだろうか。

When people are told to be grateful no matter how painful their circumstances are, might more and more of them become unable to ① voice the doubts they should have had about their families, society, or the authorities of the time, or to make the protests they should have made, and instead accept it all by saying, “This too is my fate”?

そうした「ありがとう」の押しつけは、結局のところ、苦しみを背負うのは自分ばかりという自己責任の考え方に向かうことになる。

Such an imposition of “thank you” ultimately leads toward the idea of personal responsibility, in which the suffering one bears is regarded as one's own responsibility alone.

そして、この現象は本人が「ありがとう」と感謝するだけでなく、他の人にも「ありがとうと感謝すべきだ」という空気をつくっているようにも思える。

Moreover, this phenomenon seems not only to involve people themselves expressing gratitude by saying “thank you,” but also to create an atmosphere in which others are expected to “be grateful and say thank you.”

そして、この現象は本人が「ありがとう」と感謝するだけでなく、他の人にも「ありがとうと感謝すべきだ」という空気をつくっているようにも思える。

Moreover, this phenomenon seems not only to involve people themselves expressing gratitude by saying “thank you,” but also to create an atmosphere in which others are expected to “be grateful and say thank you.”

そして、この現象は本人が「ありがとう」と感謝するだけでなく、他の人にも「ありがとうと感謝すべきだ」という空気をつくっているようにも思える。

Moreover, this phenomenon seems not only to involve people themselves expressing gratitude by saying “thank you,” but also to create an atmosphere in which others are expected to “be grateful and say thank you.”

そして、たとえ最高の人生を歩んでいなくても、とりあえず身近に家族や友人がいるなら、その人たちに「ありがとう」という気持ちを持てばよい。

And even if one is not living the best possible life, if one at least has family or friends nearby, one should feel “thank you” toward them.

いくら苦しい状況でもとりあえず感謝せよ、と言われることで、本来、家族や社会あるいは時の権力に対して持つべきだった疑問、行うはずだった抗議も①口に出せず、「これも運命なんだ」と受け入れてしまう人も増えてしまうのではないだろうか。

When people are told to be grateful no matter how painful their circumstances are, might more and more of them become unable to ① voice the doubts they should have had about their families, society, or the authorities of the time, or to make the protests they should have made, and instead accept it all by saying, “This too is my fate”?

そうした「ありがとう」の押しつけは、結局のところ、苦しみを背負うのは自分ばかりという自己責任の考え方に向かうことになる。

Such an imposition of “thank you” ultimately leads toward the idea of personal responsibility, in which the suffering one bears is regarded as one's own responsibility alone.

(香山リカ『「悩み」の正体』岩波新書による）

(From Kayama Rika, The True Nature of “Worries,” Iwanami Shinsho)

首相から人気グループ、霊能者、一般の人たちまでが、急に声をそろえて「ありがとう、ありがとう」と連呼するようになった感がある。

From the prime minister and popular groups to spiritualists and ordinary people, it seems that everyone has suddenly begun chanting “thank you, thank you” in unison.

首相から人気グループ、霊能者、一般の人たちまでが、急に声をそろえて「ありがとう、ありがとう」と連呼するようになった感がある。

From the prime minister and popular groups to spiritualists and ordinary people, it seems that everyone has suddenly begun chanting “thank you, thank you” in unison.

「感謝の心を持とう」とすすめる論の多くは次のように言う。

Many arguments urging people to “have a grateful heart” say the following.

そして、たとえ最高の人生を歩んでいなくても、とりあえず身近に家族や友人がいるなら、その人たちに「ありがとう」という気持ちを持てばよい。

And even if one is not living the best possible life, if one at least has family or friends nearby, one should feel “thank you” toward them.

これ自体は、ある意味で正論なのだが、内実は、「たとえ幸せとは言えない状態であっても、感謝するべきなのです」というメッセージにもなってしまっている。

In a sense, this itself is a reasonable argument, but in substance it can also become the message, “Even if you are in a situation that cannot be called happy, you should still be grateful.”

いくら苦しい状況でもとりあえず感謝せよ、と言われることで、本来、家族や社会あるいは時の権力に対して持つべきだった疑問、行うはずだった抗議も①口に出せず、「これも運命なんだ」と受け入れてしまう人も増えてしまうのではないだろうか。

When people are told to be grateful no matter how painful their circumstances are, might more and more of them become unable to ① voice the doubts they should have had about their families, society, or the authorities of the time, or to make the protests they should have made, and instead accept it all by saying, “This too is my fate”?

そうした「ありがとう」の押しつけは、結局のところ、苦しみを背負うのは自分ばかりという自己責任の考え方に向かうことになる。

Such an imposition of “thank you” ultimately leads toward the idea of personal responsibility, in which the suffering one bears is regarded as one's own responsibility alone.

そうした「ありがとう」の押しつけは、結局のところ、苦しみを背負うのは自分ばかりという自己責任の考え方に向かうことになる。

Such an imposition of “thank you” ultimately leads toward the idea of personal responsibility, in which the suffering one bears is regarded as one's own responsibility alone.

首相から人気グループ、霊能者、一般の人たちまでが、急に声をそろえて「ありがとう、ありがとう」と連呼するようになった感がある。

From the prime minister and popular groups to spiritualists and ordinary people, it seems that everyone has suddenly begun chanting “thank you, thank you” in unison.

首相から人気グループ、霊能者、一般の人たちまでが、急に声をそろえて「ありがとう、ありがとう」と連呼するようになった感がある。

From the prime minister and popular groups to spiritualists and ordinary people, it seems that everyone has suddenly begun chanting “thank you, thank you” in unison.

いったいどうしてなのだろう。

Why on earth is that?

いったいどうしてなのだろう。

Why on earth is that?

そして、この現象は本人が「ありがとう」と感謝するだけでなく、他の人にも「ありがとうと感謝すべきだ」という空気をつくっているようにも思える。

Moreover, this phenomenon seems not only to involve people themselves expressing gratitude by saying “thank you,” but also to create an atmosphere in which others are expected to “be grateful and say thank you.”

そして、この現象は本人が「ありがとう」と感謝するだけでなく、他の人にも「ありがとうと感謝すべきだ」という空気をつくっているようにも思える。

Moreover, this phenomenon seems not only to involve people themselves expressing gratitude by saying “thank you,” but also to create an atmosphere in which others are expected to “be grateful and say thank you.”

これ自体は、ある意味で正論なのだが、内実は、「たとえ幸せとは言えない状態であっても、感謝するべきなのです」というメッセージにもなってしまっている。

In a sense, this itself is a reasonable argument, but in substance it can also become the message, “Even if you are in a situation that cannot be called happy, you should still be grateful.”

いくら苦しい状況でもとりあえず感謝せよ、と言われることで、本来、家族や社会あるいは時の権力に対して持つべきだった疑問、行うはずだった抗議も①口に出せず、「これも運命なんだ」と受け入れてしまう人も増えてしまうのではないだろうか。

When people are told to be grateful no matter how painful their circumstances are, might more and more of them become unable to ① voice the doubts they should have had about their families, society, or the authorities of the time, or to make the protests they should have made, and instead accept it all by saying, “This too is my fate”?

いくら苦しい状況でもとりあえず感謝せよ、と言われることで、本来、家族や社会あるいは時の権力に対して持つべきだった疑問、行うはずだった抗議も①口に出せず、「これも運命なんだ」と受け入れてしまう人も増えてしまうのではないだろうか。

When people are told to be grateful no matter how painful their circumstances are, might more and more of them become unable to ① voice the doubts they should have had about their families, society, or the authorities of the time, or to make the protests they should have made, and instead accept it all by saying, “This too is my fate”?