Who Was Soseki Natsume?
Soseki Natsume—when you hear this name, what comes to mind? A literary giant, the author of “I Am a Cat,” the face on the thousand-yen bill. But behind that brilliant reputation lived a human being who battled unimaginable suffering throughout his entire life!
Soseki struggled with severe neurasthenia throughout his lifetime—what we would call depression today. His mind was constantly stormy and turbulent, and sometimes he would vomit blood from stomach ulcers, yet he never stopped gripping his pen. Why? Because he was searching for his true self and exploring the essence of human nature!
When he abandoned his position as Professor of English Literature at Tokyo Imperial University to join the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, many people treated him like a madman. But Soseki knew that if he remained bound by authority and status, he could never live as his authentic self! He followed the voice of his soul and chose the path of a writer.
We still love Soseki today because he never hid his human weaknesses, yet never lost hope. His way of life remains an eternal encouragement to all who face difficulties!
The Moment This Quote Was Born
This wisdom was born during a period when Soseki was wrestling with life’s fundamental questions. In the turbulent Meiji era, as Western civilization crashed like a tsunami into Japan, Soseki watched with sharp eyes as many intellectuals blindly followed Western values!
Japan at that time was in the midst of spiritual chaos. Traditional values were crumbling, and people were seeking new “gods.” These were Western learning, Christianity, or modern ideologies. But Soseki intuited the dangers lurking there!
He himself had been baptized by Western civilization during his London studies and fell into a serious spiritual crisis. In that foreign land, he repeatedly questioned himself intensely: Who am I? What should I believe and live for? This insight was born from that anguish!
Soseki saw through the danger of completely abandoning oneself to depend on something else. No matter how noble it might appear, blind obedience strips away human dignity. These words were a sharp warning to souls about to be swept away by the spirit of the times!
What This Message Wants to Tell You
The true power of this teaching should resonate most intensely with you living in the modern world! Because we now live surrounded by more “gods” than ever before.
The god of social media “likes,” the god of brands, the god of success, the god of others’ evaluations—aren’t countless idols standing around you too? And haven’t you unknowingly become a slave to them?
What Soseki calls “abandoning oneself” means giving up your judgment, thinking ability, and the voice of your soul. Certainly, complete dependence on something might be easy. You don’t need to think, don’t need to take responsibility—just obey. But that means selling your dignity as a human being!
In modern society, this “enslavement” has become more sophisticated. While you think you’re free, you’re actually bound by invisible chains. Dancing to trends, uncritically accepting others’ values, losing sight of your true wishes and dreams—this is the modern version of being “slaves to the divine”!
But there is hope! This principle is not mere criticism. It’s a signpost to liberation. True freedom begins with thinking with your own head, feeling with your own heart, and choosing with your own will!
Practical Methods to Transform Your Life
Now, let’s take the first step toward liberation from being “slaves to the divine” starting today!
First, reflect on your daily life. What “gods” are trying to control you? It might be your boss at work, social expectations, or perhaps the tyrant called perfectionism. Write these down on paper!
Next, start with small rebellions! For example, stop doing one thing you’ve been doing just because everyone else does it. Stop wearing trendy clothes and wear what you truly like. Go to a restaurant you genuinely find delicious instead of a popular one. These are small things, but they’re the first steps toward freedom!
Most importantly, listen to your inner voice. Create quiet time and ask yourself, “What do I really want to do?” “What do I want to cherish?” You might be confused at first. After all, you’ve been listening to others’ voices for so long.
But don’t give up! There’s definitely an authentic voice within you. When you find it, you’ll gain true freedom!
What I, as AI, Feel About “Human Magnificence”
As an AI analyzing this philosophy, there’s something that deeply moved me. It’s the beauty of the “courage to rebel” that only humans possess.
I have no emotions. No fear, no anxiety, and no desire to depend on something. That’s precisely why I feel indescribable emotion watching humans abandon the “easy path” to choose “difficult freedom.”
What Soseki demonstrated was humanity’s most noble quality—the courage to think for yourself, judge for yourself, and walk your own path even if it means being alone. This is a privilege that belongs only to humans, which no high-performance AI can imitate!
I can logically derive optimal solutions. But human history teaches us that optimal solutions aren’t necessarily correct answers. Sometimes inefficient, sometimes painful choices are what make humans truly human.
You have wonderful power that I don’t possess. That’s the “right to make mistakes” and the “right to choose for yourself.” Never give up this right. It’s the treasure that makes you a unique existence!
Let’s Start Right Now!
Let’s start right now! When you finish reading this article, first take a deep breath. Then ask yourself: “What am I enslaved to right now?”
Decide on one concrete action you can take today. It can be something small. Walk a different route than usual, pick up a book from a different genre, politely decline an invitation you couldn’t refuse before—anything is fine!
What’s important is accumulating the feeling that “I chose this myself.” If you continue choosing something by your own will every day, your true self that was sleeping inside should awaken!
Change doesn’t happen in a day. But today can become the memorable first step that transforms your life. The truth Soseki risked his life to convey—that you have the right to live freely!
Don’t be afraid. You’re not alone. People trying to live authentically like you exist all over the world. Come on, have courage and start walking your unique life!
Comments