The Japanese and Debates

I've noticed that ever since I came to Japan, the Japanese have been very accommodating and polite when it came to differences in opinions. They rarely say what they dislike or like openly without being sure they're not insulting anyone by just saying their preferences. In Malaysia or Australia, a difference in opinion often results in a lively debate that I miss so much. My conversations in Japan have mellowed down to mostly explanations, descriptions, and asking about current events. There are no debates here. Lively, healthy or otherwise. I miss having to reason out my opinions.

A healthy discussion helps work your brain. It keeps the cogs and wheels turning when you have to keep thinking of reasons to back up your opinion. I like open discussions because of that. It's rare to find people who are not stubborn about their opinion and is open to challenge or is accepting of differences in opinions.

It doesn't even matter if something isn't well thought out. When you start talking about it, you start reasoning it out and it helps you see their perspectives and your own. It's how you get to know if a person is just shallow or if they know what they're on about. It lets you know more about the person you're talking to.

I think I just figured out why I'm so irritated. The people I don't understand have no opinions of their own or are simply too shallow to have a conversation with. They won't argue with you or persuade you. They won't try to see your perspective or even think that there may be more than one way to do something.

Facets. It's what's so fascinating about our 3D world. There is always a side we can't see. It's something you can only see with the help of someone else. Or a mirror. But still, you need help to see every side of an object. Much more a person. If you can't hold a conversation with someone, how are you going to see them for who they are?

That is why I think it's very important to be with someone you can hold a conversation with. If you can't even talk to each other, what's the point?