16. Desperation and a Tragic Heroism
So when she said, “Because you’re desperate,” I was really happy that she understood me. And I do think that sort of desperation does show through.
Oh, that’s true.
These days we tend to use it when we’re making fun of something. Like, “He’s so desperate.”
Oh, you’re right. But I actually like it. When people call me desperate, I think, “That’s right, I am!”
(laughs)
Our company tries to support people who have that kind of desperation. Because desperate people tend to be thought of as a nuisance by others around them.
Oh, that’s true. That’s the kind of thing that makes Nintendo so interesting; everyone supports the desperate people.
Our company does, too, but I wonder if many other companies are like that.
That’s a good question. But I do feel like that’s a good barometer of the health of a company, whether they support desperate people or make fun of them.
I really hate it if there’s no desperation there. Wait, obviously I’m okay with taking breaks!
Right. (laughs)
It’s completely okay to take a break, or to take it easy, or to slack off. But I don’t like when people aren’t willing to do anything desperately.
Right. I don’t care about slacking off either.
Right. Because they happened to be slacking off.
Right. On the other hand, I really hate it when people act like they’re not slacking off. When they act like they’re really busy but they’re actually slacking off.
(laughs)
(laughs)
That’s the definition of just saving face.
Exactly! (laughs)
Desperation huh?
Being desperate is a good thing.
Yeah. I definitely support having that desperation. The only thing is, for example, I’m confident that I’m working desperately, but I like the idea of smiling through my desperation. (laughs)
Oh, that’s true!
I don’t need any tragic heroism.
But I think that if you can see that tragic heroism, it means they aren’t desperate enough.
(laughs) They’re tragically heroic because they’re not desperate enough.
When you’re working desperately, people have to step in and stop you. But with tragic heroism you want to seem that way to other people.
That makes sense. (laughs)
(laughs)
It’s when you try to shove how desperately you’re working in other people’s faces. Oh, I guess it’s similar to the idea of “face.”
Yeah.
I’d love to be free from all of that.