What I Learned From Reading Murakami

Murakami is one of the few writers who enjoy the reception of the general public and at the same time enjoy the approval of a large number of literary critics. For example, if we look at the list of recent Nobel Prizes in literature, we will find many authors unknown to many regular readers, not to mention how anonymous they can be to those who do not enjoy the pleasure of reading. Unfortunately Murakami never received this award, but at least it has been considered in recent years.

He is also, perhaps, one of those authors who choose titles that few publishers would choose and who speak of the weight that the author has when deciding on details that involve his books. Furthermore, he  is perhaps the author with the best ability to portray a character independently of the stage of life he is going through.

Japanese culture is very present in his novels,  especially the ceremonial part that the Japanese usually give to trusts. On the other hand, in his characters, from the youngest to the oldest, we always find that point of sadness that seems to give them the loneliness that usually accompanies them. In his novels, companionship seems to be an accidental state, and solitude the natural state. This may also have a lot to do with the author’s own personality, who confesses to being a very introverted person.

Willpower is not as present as we think

Those who spend the day exercising their willpower have chosen the wrong plan of life. Murakami tackles this topic in an extraordinary way when it comes to exercise. In this sense, many people who practice sports every day are recognized by many others as possessing enormous willpower. Maybe it’s true that within this group there are people like that, but for  most people who do physical activity for years, they don’t do it with the will.

They do it because for them it’s easier, more fun and more motivating than other alternatives.  They prefer an hour of exercise than an hour of meeting or English classes, prefer that to many other activities. The opposite, except for health reasons, would be a torture that few wills could withstand.

In this sense,  there are many mythical activities; for example, I remember the case of a young man who took great pleasure in staying at home on a Saturday night reading quietly and who, on the contrary, faced a test of will when he had to spend time at a disco.

It seems that healthy, recommendable and positive things have to be, moreover, unappetizing, ungrateful and unmotivating. On the contrary, the opposite seems to be temptation, desire, whim. However, this is often not the case, and this is where the confusion of the will begins. So we can spend time swimming upstream, but a lifetime of doing that doesn’t make sense.

Even in the unfair there is usually a kind of justice

The world is divided into two types of people:  those who “eat through the elbows” and don’t get fat, and those who have a special ability to integrate any incoming calories into their bodies. Normally, the first group is the envy of the second. In fact, we never hear a comment in the other direction. “What envy, you can eat anything and don’t get fat!”

However…  this kind of genetic injustice has its counterpart. People with a greater tendency to put on weight tend to take more care of their diet, are concerned about following a more varied diet and not torturing their metabolism with exaggerated meals when their pace is very low. Thus, it is not uncommon for a person who is overweight for their height to have a much more balanced and healthy blood test than a very thin person.

Thus, people who are more sensitive to weight fluctuations have an “alarm signal” that goes off more easily in the face of many health problems. So this is an advantage that many of us overlook. Furthermore,  this is just one example of some situations that we consider negative while ignoring the advantages they also have.

being different comes at a price.

The unbridled globalization we have been witnessing in recent years is the fusion of cultures, but to a large extent it is also having the effect of homogenizing them. On the other hand, we are in a competitive world where creativity is so scarce that its price is enormous. So, in some way, we all want to have our own voice, our own style, at the same time we want the groups we identify with to welcome us. It’s the paradox of wanting to look like others being different.

Well, regardless of the type of motivation for it, the truth is, there are no equal people. The exact price for these differences is arguments, misunderstandings and disagreements. Yes, that’s what we like so little.

Don’t give your freedom to anyone

No one deserves to carry this weight or have this privilege in their hands. Nobody and nothing once we reach adulthood. Be it a person you love or a job you enjoy. It’s not just because your freedom is a privilege that should belong to you intrinsically (within the limits of the law, of course), but because  if you surrender your freedom to someone or something, you’re condemning it at the same time. .

Maybe at first you can handle it, but  sooner or later you’ll regret it. This will probably cause the relationship you have with your loved one to end or deteriorate, or it will make you stop feeling all that passion for the profession that used to complete you.

We love people body and soul

“It wasn’t clear who she was. It was nothing more than a being. And she was endowed with a special ability that allowed her to separate the body from the heart. ‘I offer you one of the two,’ said Tsukuru. ‘Either my body or my heart, I cannot give both. That’s why you have to choose one right now, because the other I’ll give to someone else’, she said. However, Tsukuru wanted her completely.  He couldn’t accept her handing over the other half to another man. The idea seemed unbearable to him”.

Nothing better than the author’s own words to explain his own reflection. It’s just that love has a powerful chemical part, but it is no less certain that it has a powerful physical part. To renounce any of the two dimensions is to mortally wound love itself. Condemn him to a perpetual dissatisfaction that will soon finish him off. Perhaps conceptually we can separate soul and body, but love needs both to form an orchestra to play in harmony.

Certainly if you approach Murakami’s work, you will be able to draw your own teachings. Your characters may not talk much, but your books are an open communication for reflection, personal enrichment and, above all, appreciation.