ビジネス日本語講座

Why does self-help thinking sometimes seem Teflon-coated? In this episode, I explore how certain ideas appear designed to repel criticism, failure, social problems, and even self-doubt. When reality challenges the message that “everything depends on you,” another positive slogan ...

Is modern self-help built on promissory notes? In this episode, I explore how online businesses often sell promises whose value can only be judged in the future: change your habits and your life will improve, invest in yourself and you will succeed, or build systems and you will ...

Is a CEO who works constantly really a great CEO? In this episode, I explore the difference between working hard and actually managing a company. During the early stages of a business, founders often need to do everything themselves. But as a company grows, the skills required ma...

Is being harmless the same as being a good person? In this episode, I question why modern society often treats harmlessness as a moral virtue. Traditional virtues such as courage, justice, generosity, and honesty usually involve some kind of cost: risk, conflict, sacrifice, or re...

What should we do with the time AI saves us? In this episode, I argue that efficiency should not simply lead to more work. If a task that once took three hours now takes one, perhaps the remaining two hours should belong to us. We can play games, read, walk, nap, or do nothing at...

What happens when human suffering becomes an asset? In traditional accounting, humiliation, loneliness, unemployment, and painful memories have no monetary value. But on YouTube, those same experiences can generate views, donations, subscribers, and advertising revenue. In this e...

Why does everyone sound so “deep” these days? In this episode, I explore the inflation of philosophical language online: words like freedom, meaning, identity, structure, desire, and authenticity now appear everywhere. The problem is not thinking deeply, but mistaking abstract la...

Is AI “brainstorming” bad for the environment? In this episode, I half-jokingly ask whether we really need data centers running around the world just to help us organize our thoughts. People now use AI to reflect on their careers, emotions, goals, values, and daily frustrations—t...

Why are we constantly trying to optimize ourselves? In this episode, I look at how modern life encourages us to adapt to systems rather than question them. Employees optimize for promotions and performance reviews, while independent creators optimize for algorithms, clicks, follo...

Why do people in business increasingly say “sounding board” instead of simply asking for advice? In this episode, I explore my discomfort with the Japanese business buzzword kabeuchi, literally “hitting a wall.” Behind this seemingly harmless expression may lie something revealin...

In an age of AI, optimization, and personal branding, being an ordinary human may become a powerful form of differentiation. More people are following the same formulas: quitting jobs, becoming freelancers, building personal brands, exercising, investing in themselves, and using ...

“Get out of your comfort zone” is one of the most common messages in self-help culture. But is staying comfortable really such a bad thing? In this episode, I question the idea that we must constantly challenge ourselves, improve, grow, and seek new experiences. A comfort zone ca...