Without knowing what the Japanese are generally like, I can't assess whether or not this is normal.
If it really isn't all that common among the Japanese people to think and dwell on this kind of stuff, then I'm stoked to see what the hell this guy is gonna say in the future.
This is an exciting prospect for me, ESPECIALLY as it pertains to my interest in hearing the philosophical viewpoints of absurdly famous people. Like how they feel about life, death, existence... the journey they've taken here on this planet, their interactions with others through the lens of the fame that will never be an entity separate from them again.
How does it change them? Does it ruin their lives? How do they feel about human interaction and interpersonal relationships? Do they regret ever being so renown? Do they wish they'd have done something else? Have they EVER been TRULY fucking happy? Do they even remember life before everyone knew their name? How did it feel then vs. now? Do they miss it?
And Hanyu is WAY young. Usually this kind of reflection can only be done when someone is 60+, or at least toward the end of their life, how ever long that turned out to be.
But with him, we get the opportunity to see him come to conclusions throughout the years... if he doesn't hari kari himself. I'm not trying to be an insensitive dick or something, but it's hard not to consider the possibility after hearing some of the things he's said.
Maybe it's just a phase. But he doesn't act like it's a phase.
Quote:"Since childhood, I’ve wondered, What is life?" he shares. "By the time we're self-aware, we're already named, already living. My earliest memory is realizing I could blink voluntarily. Life feels intangible—we can't even prove our own existence. Precisely because it's so fleeting, I hope my performances spark moments to ponder life."
https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkating/c...tes_goethe
And just BTW, I fucking hate the fact that I have to post so many Reddit links when discussing this. It makes me cringe on a soul deep level, but fuck it. I mean, it's one of the ONLY places where people have provided translations... it's actually invaluable.
I didn't expect to be taking a deep dive into the philosophy of a figure skater this week, but here we are.
Quote:"I'm unusually excited about tomorrow. If I don't act responsibly today, tomorrow will hurt. Today's condition is yesterday's doing. In skating, you never know if you'll train tomorrow. I can't predict the future, but I'll cherish each day like these 30 years. I want future me to look back and say, I gave my all."
And does he actually even feel this way? Like, is it so popular in Japan to talk about this kind of subject matter that he's just following a current trend or something? I know that's an insidious assumption, but I have to consider that it's a possibility.
Realistically, he needs to keep making money, since he's done competing and his bread and butter is now "ice dancing shows", unless he can successfully kick off a career as what? A model? A philosopher?? Like... it's worth considering that he's pandering to an audience with this line of talk.
I mean, if this is what the Japanese are like, I need to move to Japan. I fucking LOVE talking about death!!!
