I never realized there was a term/philosophy for this. I've always found beauty in cracked and old sheds, garages, etc. I find the Japanese have so many theories and feelings that I never knew existed anywhere but in my own head.
When I was young, like most people, I thought that what I desired more than anything was fame and success. I defined success only with a dollar sign. But over the past few years, I've begun to realize that true happiness is found in life's quiet moments. Enjoying a book on the front porch in the early morning when a soft rain begins to fall. Cooking a wonderful meal and then sitting down to enjoy it. When I was younger I wanted to be surrounded by so many people, and have lots and lots of friends. But I've learned to find peace and happiness in being alone.
As a small child I remember being fascinated by my friends "great-great". She was a very old eskimo woman that had shrunk and wrinkled as she aged, like a piece of dried fruit. She was barely bigger than we were. I was mesmerised because I saw all her weathered wrapping as a book of stories. Those old milky eyes would sparkle with charm when you asked to spend time with her. She was Wabi Sabi. She was beatiful and valuable because she was what her life had created. Not perfect but wonderful.
When my daughter was a baby, I used to spend weekends with my mother, in my childhood home. One day, while I was walking with my baby, I saw one of my grandmother's friends. My gram had been dead for many years, as were most of her generation. I stopped to visit Mrs. Star. I had to tell her who I was, as I hadn't seen her in many years. I thanked her for the memories I had of tea parties on her porch, while she told me stories about her tea cup collection. I remembered helping her pick blueberries to sell at her vegetable stand. Of course, she knew that we ate as many as we would bring to her! After my visit, my mother told me that every time she would see Mrs. Star, she would say, "Did I tell you that little Debbie came to visit me?" I had no idea that my visit would have such a positive impact. After that, I made a point of contacting people from my past who had made an impact on my life. I tracked down my high school art teacher. He had been a part of my life from 1st grade until I graduated. It wasn't easy to find him, as he had retired and moved away from my town. I was relentless! When I called him, he cried … and he said that I was the ONLY student who ever contacted him to say "thank you for all that you gave to me." We are very good at holding grudges. We, as a society, are not so good at saying "Thank You!" It is a gift to yourself, as well as the person who you admire.
I can admit I'm becoming quite envious of the folks who get to make these videos for Alain and SoL's essays. Similarly with Crash Course, and various educational channels on youtube. What a fascinating thing to be commissioned to make: complimentary image to some of the most interesting subjects, people and ideas that we have. Like being in the world's sexiest, swottiest photoshop jam band. Oh well. Here I go about to go and doodle on a free image editing software again, like the suburban dilettante that I am. To the tea machine, Wabi-sabians. Thanks again to School of Life and all who sail on her.
+The School of Life Alain de Botton, you are certainly a hero of mine! you are just fantastic! i love your inspiration and i especially love how unique you are! You have a special objectivity i certainly respect. You are a super balanced human being! For instance i searched around the internet and found a great (radio/show) interview you did on "Religion for atheists" (you wrote your first book at 23yrs old? wow!!) You see, the way i see it, most people see one thing (a certain factor of a perspective) and see it as the ONLY thing! and in doing so block out much of the other side to the situation. For instance, maybe someone saw the (definite) downfalls to religion, and in seeing this, lost all the opportunities or qualities that come from religion. Or the person who see's the good in religion, but as a result of (something like love-blindness+wishful thinking) ignored the potential downfalls of religion. In short, people are black-VS-white (not black AND white, because then they'd see both sides, haha) They see one factor and disregard the other side to the same thing. anyways, they are both robbing themselves of potential growth and learning, by being one sided! i am creative and love to learn and to share. I wish everyone could work together and make amazing work in collaboration. i just feel life is short, and there is so much that we could all do together if we set our mind to it. Have a beautiful day everyone! :)
Thank you for this wonderful lesson! I remembered a poem I love, from one of our most beloved poets in Turkey: Orhan Veli. I wish he didn't die so young... He was a very fragile and melancholy person, but ( or because ) he had eyes to see! He really taught us how to find beauty and consolation in the most simple things. Here is the Cornel Tree: It gave its first fruit this year, That cornel tree: Three cherries. Next year it might give five: Life is long, We'll wait. What does it matter? Cornel tree, you're quite something. Before you read the next poem, you have to remember the very first time you saw the sea. I was around 4 years old. I was in a bus sleeping. When I opened my eyes it was there. I got so scared! ( Black sea is quite something too! ) And Gemlik is a town in Turkey in west Anatolia, on the coast. Look what a beautiful warning: "Approaching Gemlik You'll catch sight of the sea: Don't be surprised." And if you are wondering why is it that we sometimes see the beauty everywhere around us and at other times we find ourselves totally numb and blinded to it all, Orhan Veli wonders too: THERE MUST BE A CATCH SOMEWHERE Is the sea as gorgeous as this every day? Is this what the sky looks like all the time? This furniture and this window Are they always this lovely? they aren't; I swear they aren't; There must be a catch somewhere.
Hello there! I am very happy to hear that! He is the poet I love the most. If you search for this on google you'll find a website where you can read more of his wonderful poems: "Orhan Veli translated by Talat Sait Halman" Thanks a lot for your feedback. Best wishes:-)
Lua... Sometimes in the movie hall, you find someone more beautiful in the seats than the lady on the screen. Your comment rivals the message in the video.
+Michael Winter Yeah, but you can enjoy imperfection in the video. I especially like the imperfect auto-subtitles. I found both funny and inspiring how Wabi-sabi was subtitled - the machine doesn't know the words and use close-sounding terms ... different terms each time :) Computers can be so poetic sometimes. - well be savvy - web ECB - where he said he - web service - weapons happy - happy and sad be - sappy - web-savvy - peace abby - 27 - happy Sabbath
Wabi Sabi resonates me at a deeply personal and spiritual level. In life's pursuit for perfection, we must not abandon or dismiss the imperfect. Thank you for this video.
I had never heard of wabi sabi before, but like any other reasonable gardener throughout the world, I feel that I have always instinctively appreciated such an aesthetic.
It is like how westerners love Rose and Japanese love cherry blossoms. Love as we know in western world is symbolized by rose. But when it dries and dies, Rose is intact. Not shattering. It's like clinging on to things even after it withers. Embodied by how marriage custom is in western world. Wedding is forged by rings, by promises. But in eastern world there was no rings to forge lovers. Everything is like cherry blossom. It blossoms so gracefully yet only to wither away as soon as it blossoms. Like everything is not to be clinged on.Like Cherry blossoms, to look at things only at that moment when it is available. Not to try to cling on to hollow shell even when it is no more. This is atleast how I understood it me being Asian.
There is a reason i wrote "how I understood it". I am not japanese. But my nation and japanese had a bit of history together. Attacking and getting attacked before. Even today japan and we have much relations going on. So I grew up being introduced to japanese ideas through morality. Even our ideas and their ideas are ingrained in each others culture. So when i heard what video was saying it felt so familiar, it hit me like nostalgia. So this is how i attempted to explain this familiar feeling since even in my culture, I grew up being taught these ideas shown in video.
+Dynamistic "Every tale contains a grain of truth." AMEN TO THAT!!!! People just see it in their own way! and people are addicted to doubt and skepticism! they NEED to be contrarian! haha! The clarity of your words! oh man, i quite agree with you! i felt like i was reading things in my mind when i read what you wrote. haha! great minds think alike! I try to live by the general principle of finding the truth in everything, in the context and sense that someone says and means something. "Every tale contains a grain of truth!" and i love to study psychological projection! its funny how people don't see how much their own mind plays into that which they say to (and about) others. (a particularly funny place where this happen in the most extreme form comes when people blame others in a condescending way.) Humans are silly creatures! but if one lives by the principle ("Every tale contains a grain of truth") then i think one will try to avoid the common biases that ever-so cause people to disagree or be contrarian! Clear thinking my friend! keep it up! Have a beautiful day! :)
+padkirsch Funny thing is, He says "every tale contains a grain of truth" and then dismisses the entire 'tale' and 'grain' of the person he's talking to ( Even though I completely agree with him :p )
You guys fill my days with wisdom, peace, calm, serenity, tranquility, knowledge, etc. I don't know how to thank you enough. I wish I could do so much more.
I love the beauty of a leaf covered tree in summer time, giving shade to those to sit under it - however I also love the beauty of those same leaves that are withering in autumn and falling to make a crinkling, rustling carpet beneath our feet. I love the beauty of the wrinkled face because it tells so many stories of each person's life.
I think connecting wabi Sabi to art betrays the essence of the philosophy of beauty in imperfection.... though I understand 100% your point. The idea does have links to stoicism....Amor Fati....I am sure. All this Japanese imagery is a diversion.
I wish we all could again adapt such great ideas from Eastern philosophies into today's society, even though it is so obvious that so many people already agree that they are beneficial. Not everything in life has to be picture-perfect, but it is worth the picture still.
After watching many of these videos I've come to realise that human life, on a personal and cultural level, is largely influenced around the ideals followed and promoted by society at the time. And that these ideals change over time and are not inherently right or wrong. Basically all cultures have valued and believed different things at different times which has led to many different representations of what it means to be "good" or what is ideal. And most people accept this as truth, or at least go along with it. Sure, there are some common ideals throughout the ages and certain ones may never be lost, like beauty for instance. But even beauty is very malleable and has changed just in my short life from thinking a petite woman's behind is attractive, to getting ridiculously large silicon implants to enlarge said behind. This is just one example of how cultural ideals can change quite quickly. Anyway, though this is a simple realisation, it allows one to question the current ideals of society and whether there are better ways of living life. Currently, I think money, beauty and individual success are valued at the expense of other ideals such as wisdom, personal peace and community. Maybe its time people define their own ideals through personal reflection and study of history (thanks The School of Life!), and not just follow the materialistic, competitive, money driven mainstream culture of today. What are your ideals?
Nickos Exactly! And you probably realized that certain civilizations influence other civilizations with their ideas about the afterlife, freewill, property rights, technology, beauty, etc. These videos are wonderful because they give us the opportunity to examine. our own values.
Welcome to the world of Cultural Relativism, in which your goals, your values and ideals, your understanding of who you are and how you fit in are ALL determined by the culture you're born into. Culteral Relativism is literally one of the most powerful and revolutionary ideas of the 20th century. It's the basis for our belief in human equality and the struggle for universal human rights that's been raging for a good 120 years now and is raging anew even now.
The serendipity of how humans communicate in the 21st century is quite baffling. There has never been such an overload of information or ' scientific Knowledge' amongst humans ever in the history of time. Humans far across away from each other never communicated so directly to one another and shared information. All communications in the past, up until the invention of telegram and post were through messages or crypts ,etc which had a sense of mystery and curiousness attached to it. The future of communication and information sharing is what is intriguing.
Keep going. You are flirting with premature enlightenment, and the only cure is to keep paying attention to the whole in order to see and think deeply enough to pierce the false (or incomplete, if you prefer) conclusions on which you appear to have settled. Best of luck to you.
This is the first SOL video I stumbled upon. That was six months ago. I just viewed it again and it is still brilliant. This opened the door to me for the SOL, and I have explored within its realm thoroughly. What a gift. Thanks to all of you. I'm linking this to a fine potter I know, to see if I can inspire him.
Wonderful video, one of the reasons why I love Japan so much. Thank you School of Life for shedding light on this topic. The west has a lot to learn from our Asian cousins.
I love this idea. I spent my earlier years trying to improve my home and garden with not enough money to do it. One day it clicked. Enjoy that beautiful tree and stop worrying about having it trimmed into a perfect shape.
I love all your videos but this one was exceptional. I knew nothing about this concept and you just taught an entirely new perspective on life. Thank you for presenting us this video.
Wabi sabi is about, 'being imperfectly perfect'- imperfection-20%, perfection-80%. It does not mean complete imperfection or dis-organisation. It is about reaching perfection but moving away from it a little bit. Wabi sabi- 'Being imperfectly perfect is more perfect than being perfect'.
My interprutation was creating something and accepting the imperfection that came with it as beautiful. Did I get that right, or is there more extensive criteria?
@@chibigirl8545 1. Not just accepting the imperfection, But also introducing it voluntarily if there is none(introducing some imperfection into perfect things voluntarily ) 2. Not just limited to man-made creations, any creation (any aesthetics) 3. can also be extended into any aspect of life. eg a. 80%happiness, 20% sadness b. 80% discipline , 20% lack of discipline
Wabi Sabi? There is beauty in finding what is on the threshold of beauty. All the dents and scratches on all my furniture, the chip on that bowl, that scar on my middle finger, these aging eyes...tell a story. And flawed beauty stayed over the other night, and slept til noon. She has her flaws. They make her what she is. I recall my childhood back in the olden days. I visited (I was 4 or 5) them; walked right in after a knock. Not my mothers friends, but my grandmother's friends. And they all were beautiful. All flawed in different ways. Full of wisdom and unknowing lies. Some old maids, some widows. One just 4' 8", and one 280 pounds. And they died one by one. At peace. Having done all the good they could.
Wabi Sabi isn't about mess, ugliness or anything negativity, is about recognize that things (and people) have history, experience circumstances and growth old and not because those years and circumstances leave marks mean they are worthless, Wabi Sabi means we need to learn that those dent and marks are sign of value 'cus they show us experience gained along the path. Why try to hide your imperfections while are those imperfections that make you unique?
One of the most inspiring lessons i heard from school of life. To me this is new theory, about a very recognizable thing. Thanks you for putting words to this. It has changed the way I look at esthetics!
This video made me think of Japan as a whole following wabi-sabi. I'm half Japanese and have lived in Japan for more than half my life, and there are so many things that follow this philosophy. The food here, at least in the traditional restaurants, almost always follow wabi-sabi in the most subtle ways, whether it includes adding a cherry blossom to your dish during springtime, or using seasonal foods; they always include nature in their food (if that makes any sense). On top of that, the very cities follow this philosophy. It is pretty uncommon to find perfectly straight roads that go on for miles, other than highways and some in the major cities. The streets are always imperfect, rarely in a grid, with lots of nature mixed in, whether there are small weeds growing through the side, or somebody's apricot tree hanging over into the street. Houses are almost never symmetrical, and seem a bit chaotic, but there is still order. Nowadays, however, I noticed there are more and more Western houses popping up that are the same color, square, and identical to the ones around it. Anyway, this was a little rant of what this video made me think of. Thanks for the quality videos, SoL!
+Squid53214 Tbh, it reminds me of seasonal beer (hope I don't sound insulting of flippant) where various "Seasonal" beers only use ingredients that are only available during certain times of the year.
I learned that when Japanese artists made a work of art they considered too perfect, they would deliberately paint a "mistake," in order to make it more beautiful in this way. I always loved that.
This is a good video in some ways, but quite frustrating in the way it passes just by the critical influences on the development of this aesthetic without actually making contact. SoL and Alain, for whom I have a great deal of respect, seem quite idealist in their treatment of 'ideas'. Wabi-sabi was preceded by an earlier dominant aesthetic and its rise cannot properly be understood without reference to real-world changes in the politics and economy of Japan. This could easily be done without changing the current video much at all in terms of either timing or content. While it is valid for Alain to begin his discussion with Eisai in 1191 it is remiss of him not to mention the gradual loss of power and reduction to poverty of the previous Japanese ruling class, the emperor and traditional nobles, the kuge, (and the eclipse of the social order that they had developed) by the rise of the warrior class, the samurai. Wabi-sabi is quite different from what preceded it and may reasonably be described as an aesthetic of poverty. In many ways it is nothing more mysterious or 'exotic' than that. The previous traditional ruling class, first based in Nara and then Kyoto, lost political power and economic clout and fell into poverty. The change in power formally occurred in 1192 (though the process was, of course, much older than that), the year after Eisai brought green tea and Rinzai Zen (not all Zen) from China, when the Kamakura shogunate was established in Kamakura, near present-day Tokyo. The samurai class deliberately established its capital there in order to escape what it saw as the effete and corrupting culture of the kuge, as well as to secure the strategic and agricultural/economic advantage of the Kanto plain, the largest flat area in this mountainous country. It was this impoverishment of the kuge, which nevertheless retained cultural cachet and wished to distance itself from what it saw as the boorish and uncouth soldiery of the samurai, that forced the development of an aesthetic of imperfection for the simple reason that it could no longer indulge in its previous luxury and had to make do in straitened circumstances. This also set up a tension in Japanese culture between the culture of the kuge and that of the samurai. This tension informs the later development of the tea ceremony (and much else besides) which may usefully be seen as a continuation of the struggle between the two for cultural dominance. The video would have been richer had this been incorporated into it. Ideas do not exist in isolation from the world, as Alain's often inspiration the ancient Greeks (and Romans) knew and well understood. To consider wabi-sabi without consideration of poverty and the loss of political and economic power is to close off a deep and rewarding understanding of ideas and aesthetics and how they actually evolve and not as we like to imagine they do. This leads Alain to the predictably shallow and intellectually naive claim that modern Japanese women's consumption of Louis Vuitton handbags is symptomatic of the destruction of traditional Japanese values by the rampaging Godzilla of 'Western' consumerism (and its implication of the dreaded planet-destroying 'imperialism'/'neo-colonialism'). Throughout Japanese history, including long before contact with the West, prosperous Japanese (including the kuge before they lost power and prosperity) have appreciated and sought out what Alan wrongly calls 'Western values of shininess, perfection and symmetry'. This cartoonish, Romantic and ultimately misleading opposition of a posited crass West and sophisticated East has a long history in the West, a history of which Alain cannot be unaware. It is all the more disappointing, therefore, that he chooses to propagate it like an undergraduate.
+Topknot Thank you for your critique. I think the school of life's main purpose is to widen our horizons, even though admittedly improvements could be made based on your evaluation. As an educational channel it succeeded to inspire, as '... great educators inspires.' And sometimes to inspire small sacrifices of detail is left out.
+raami jackson Agreed. I don't think anyone would argue that the west has been especially imposing of it's culture onto Japan (with respect to the rest of the "far east"). Japan's rapid industrialization and the aftermath of WW2 being overt examples of what is otherwise a more covert and insidious, yet obvious phenomenon of the spread of consumerist culture that comes alongside a global uptake of consumer-driven economics. I don't think it was an intellectually naive claim at all, and that is putting aside what I saw as the actual purpose that comparison, which was just to "come full circle" with a largely western audience to these videos in order to breathe relevance into an old philosophy. It's good to be critical with philosophy, but it too easily turns into bitter one-up-man-ship. With presumptuous words like "predictably" and "naive" being used I can't help but feel like that's a little of what's happened here.
+Topknot Very good comment. SoL's videos are one of the only places where one can see such comments. I learned a lot from you, sir/miss. It really is something that we tend to do as a species in general, romanticize, idealize history. Having a holistic understanding of reality is the hardest accomplishment as a human, but I guess it probably is worth it. One can try, at the very least.
I loved this gentle reminder to embrace the imperfect. I appreciate the concept of wabi sabi, being part Japanese myself. My only complaint of this video is the mispronunciation of wabi sabi. Otherwise beautifully done!!
This has to be the one of the most beautiful and important videos I have ever came across in the world of RUclips. Simply, I wanna say thank you to everyone involved in this video 😽 mad love and now I'm subscribed
The beauty in imperfection. Why do we love kids. Even when as adults we hate each other due to some reason or the other. The effort for perfection and the innocent mistakes makes us more human.
Had a Aunt who was the most giving person you could ever meet. She was over energetic to say the least, so most of her cups where cracked, broken and my uncle would glue them back together. After she passed many family members where at odds with each other over the money she left, I am so grateful I got the cups, I am enjoying a tea out of one right now. Thank you for giving me a name for what I feel when I use these cups.
Wabi-Sabi, to the pimples on my face :-) Obsessive imperfection as a way of life. It's like striving for the perfection in reverse. Just chill and do as good as you can in the moment.
I have never heard of this before today, and yet find it is something I have been deeply drawn to for a few years now. Thank you for posting this. Things like this make me love RUclips.
There's an aesthetic in Santa Fe that is sort of wabi-sabi--a mixing of bright colors, expensive old things, cheap plastic things, layers of paint that are allowed to chip so the old colors show through. There's a belief that the accidental can end up being beautiful in a way that could not have been planned. It is not fussy, and doesn't need to be expensive either, but creating it demands a pretty refined aesthetic. One ends up with objects or buildings where creativity and decay combine in a pleasing way.
I am asian descended, my great grandparents were immigrants. It's funny how some of my families' habits kinda echo wabi-sabi's philosophy. It's very hard to explain, but there's a tendency to cherish objects from the past. So much so that it's easy for them to slip into hoarder mode and have a hard time letting go of the past. Still, it's very interesting realizing there's a cultural explanation for some family habits I've never understood.
I came in contact with Wabi Sabi from japanese car culture, and adapted it when i got my current car, which was meant for the press. i rescued it, fixed it up, replaced parts, made it running, pass inspections and all that. But its not perfect, the paint finish is flaking off on the roof, there are dents, scratches, the interior is aged, showing discoloration. but all in all, i wouldnt want it new and shiny and flashy. 23 years made it what it is - to me its beautiful. and understanding all this, helped me with other aspects of life. not always, no, but it helped!
The idea of wabi sabi has released me from the trap of perfectionism, so prevalent in Western civilization. Seeing a leaf, with a tiny hole eaten by some insect, is wabi sabi. It enriches, not diminishes, my world view.
Yesterday, when I was coming home after work from the city, amidst the tall buildings and supermarkets beside the road, there was a small old house, and the lights were on inside, which meant someone was still living there. I felt quite glad. Although their land must be worth millions, I'm still happy that they choose to live their in their little humble home, right next to all those posh looking buildings and supermarkets. I hope they never sell.
Really hate to be that guy, but as someone who's studied Japanese - it's "wah"-"bee" "saw"-"bee" - the first two syllables using a light A that rhymes with "maw" or "jaw". Kinda sounds silly to hear it pronounced as is here, but a great testament to the delivery of the content that in spite of the oversight, the video remained so rich and engaging throughout!
Not all languages are sourced from multiple romance languages, have inconsistent rules regarding the pronunciation of the words, nor require years of study to gain a basic mastery. Welcome to English, be it the Queen's English or American or some other variation thereof. People aren't asking for much to say "hey, this is the right to say it." That's called basic copy-check when producing content.
Alain your explanation of aesthetics and simplicity by means of higher philosophy creates a tiny yet strong swirl on any, you have earmarked an onset of a modern Rennaissance, for which I provide a humble bow in a peculiar language, indeed a language which the modern world has cremated, a language of love, a language of heart, a language of humanity. Let this rennaissance triumph, it will, because, revolution always triumphs
Hum, actually there is an equivalent to wabi-sabi in the Western World, especially in 17th Century France. It was called the "baroque" movement. The word "baroque" derives from the italian "barrocco" which means "imperfect pearl". The idea of the baroque movement was that beauty could be found in imperfection, irregularity and ephemeralness. Look it up. I beg your pardon if my english was bad, I'm just doing my best to enlighten you ;-)
IMHO there's no corresponging style or philosophy in European cultures, but elements of this could be found throughout European history. They flow naturally from genuine heartfelt Christianity and/or humanism, or simply from people not having much money but being content with what they have or what they can do. You find mentions in old European books of "my grandmother is the most beautiful person in the world", "our old family cupboard is battered but we wouldn't buy a new one for the world", imperfect and slightly assymetrical medieval, Renaissance and Baroque buildings, Regency scarves not trying to hide the fact that they're actually two scarves sewn together etc. etc.... :-)
There is much to appreciate about Wabi -sabi for sure. Keeping things simple and appreciating the natural way of things, perceived flaws and all. I love and relate to the idea of cracks in pottery being more interesting than a perfect piece, like bubbles in glass. Same with a freshly cleaned path with some newly fallen leaves on it. Retreating is a big one also, and de-existing from chaos would be a dream.
+Stephen Perry I do think bits of Wabi-Sabi do stick out in Judeao-Christianity. Jesus asking the rich man to give to the poor, Solomon speaking in Lamentations about how he had it all and yet didn't have peace, etc...
Jesus definitely understood Wabi-Sabi. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
Beautiful explanation and graphics. I'm so lucky I visited Japan, a dream from childhood. I thought I would go back--but--Corona, a breakdown of health...it won't happen. However, this video is like a window to see what I saw, hear what I didn't know, and understand what I felt. Thank you!
Yeah seconded. His pronunciation is absurd and distracting. Has he ever heard Japanese?? He seems to have done a lot of good research but then outright butchers the pronunciation of every place and name. It's almost like he's doing it on purpose
@@NortonBoxesMD I said wabi-sabi (the way he pronounced it) to my daughter who is half Japanese (and her first language is Japanese), and there was so much confusion written on her face. Then finally got it after I pronounced it correctly. Even Google Translate gets it correctly. Phonetically speaking, Japanese is pretty straight forward.
“Mistake” where child’s voice cuts off at the end... I see what use oh did there! Nice. Now to remember that all of life’s imperfections are to be accepted and even appreciated. Well done, School of Life.
To me, wabi-sabi is all about perfection. The perfect of nature. So I don't really like it when Westerners connect wabi-sabi and imperfection. It doesn't feel right at all. A plane garden with some leaves are beautiful. But it doesn't mean you can leave the garden dirty with random leaves and sticks. Throw some leaves on a dirty garden, the leaves will only be another garbage. They won't make any beauty. At the same time, it's easy to keep the garden just clean. You don't have to think but keep sweeping. Choosing the right leaves and throwing them at the right place is hard. You want something natural but also beautiful. Practicing wabi-sabi is difficult. You want nature but you can't do it without skills and mind. Perfect things are not perfect enough. Add wabi-sabi, then it'll be closer to perfect. I agree it came from Buddhism. 色即是空、空即是色. And I can see lots of Shintoism in it.
+TomHasVideo Don't sweat it. It is the imperfection that you have to accept after all. This method does not imply a ritual of status, but rather the simple process of you wanting to drink tea and, above all, enjoy it. Whether it is done through ritual or not. Make peace with the fact that you did it, rather than envying how it should be done according to a monk who lived hundreds of years ago with no mark on our own culture. A Zen Buddhist once said, "if you meet the Buddha, kill him," this is an essential thought to wabi-sabi, showing that the nature of things change over time. It is not a good idea to dwell on the past.
@@henricuss tea bowls are deliberately made with wonks and the glaze are uneven. It is nod to wabi Sabi but they aren't truly wabi Sabi. Once the cups are used repeatly and acquire marks, scratches and chips of their own achieved with time and use that comes about through random chance and happenstance it come into its own and achieve true wabi Sabi. Pre distressed denim jeans is nod to wabi Sabi but not truly as it is deliberate and cultivated wear not organic but can achieve true wabi Sabi with wear. That is the heart of wabi Sabi. The acquiring of loss and fatigue and acceptence that things aren't permanent or perfect and that beauty can be achieved by the unpredictability of life. Wabi Sabi is also the personalization of objects through your own personal use of them rather than the deliberate and preconceived 'mistakes' the manufacturer or craftsman makes. In the case of bowls and jeans that are commercially made they are 'perfect' even with their inbuilt mistakes because that's how the manufacturer intended them to be and and will remain the manufacturer or craftsman own item because it's their creation. But with your own use you then make it truly yours and make it more beautiful. No one else can wear down a object like you do and your own life, feelings and emotions (happiness and sorrow) will be invested in that object. Organic growth and wear achieved by one's own use through random chance rather than pre conceived and deliberate mistakes is what is at the heart of wabi Sabi.
@@Seeker0fTruth ka sa ta na wa are all pronounced as ah as in car as opposed to a short “a” He should be pronouncing it as “warbi sarbi” Small point but does make listening to his Japanese a little jarring
idk, it seems like they screwed up wabi-sabi a long time ago when they started making cups with flaws intentionally. You have to let that stuff come naturally with age. Thats why its better to try and do things perfectly and let the wabi-sabi come on its own. That way it doesn't come across as fake. Sadly like the people of today, even the ancient japanese were impatient.
Wabi-sabi, and the feelings associated with it, explains a lot about the fascination we feel when we explore ruins of ancient cities, temples and other landmarks, or examine old artifacts that have worn down with time. The ruined state of the ancient objects and structures evoke a sense of mystery; in a poignant way, it reveals the history of the artifact, making us wonder how such artifact changed throughout its history, and how it decayed to its present state. The vast appeal of archaeology derives a lot from the philosophy of Wabi-sabi, because it explores the wondrous mysteries of ruined objects.
Good video. Treated the subject succinctly and with deference. You could've practiced your pronunciation a bit more though on some of the Japanese words. But hey - appreciation of imperfection is the theme.
At first we learn from buddha that Attachment is root of all pain. So the practioners try to distance to attachment or happiness. But in a larger picture, Wabi Sabi teaches us that everything can be loved. Even the pain, the aging. Everything can be loved if we try harder and to me thats better than just distancing oneself from any attachment.
Appreciation is possible without attachment. Or, probably at some stages many things are better appreciated without being self-consciously attached to them.
A very interesting philosophy. Thanks, School of Life. I have been appreciating Wabi-sabi all of my life, and never knew others made a whole commitment to the imperfect. Very enjoyable.
I need to watch it with subtitles or I won't understand everything that is said. But dude, this auto generated subtitled transcribed wabi-sabi as happy Sabbath lol
![ARGENTINA vs. PERÚ [1-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 12](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xtI25ENDDSY/mqdefault.jpg)
I never realized there was a term/philosophy for this. I've always found beauty in cracked and old sheds, garages, etc. I find the Japanese have so many theories and feelings that I never knew existed anywhere but in my own head.
You should take a trip to Japan. Wonderful place, you may find yourself well connected to it.
When I was young, like most people, I thought that what I desired more than anything was fame and success. I defined success only with a dollar sign. But over the past few years, I've begun to realize that true happiness is found in life's quiet moments. Enjoying a book on the front porch in the early morning when a soft rain begins to fall. Cooking a wonderful meal and then sitting down to enjoy it. When I was younger I wanted to be surrounded by so many people, and have lots and lots of friends. But I've learned to find peace and happiness in being alone.
As a small child I remember being fascinated by my friends "great-great". She was a very old eskimo woman that had shrunk and wrinkled as she aged, like a piece of dried fruit. She was barely bigger than we were. I was mesmerised because I saw all her weathered wrapping as a book of stories. Those old milky eyes would sparkle with charm when you asked to spend time with her. She was Wabi Sabi. She was beatiful and valuable because she was what her life had created. Not perfect but wonderful.
Consider writing a novel. This was so beautifully said.
@@KO-D00M thank you.
@@KO-D00M I agree. Made me cry reading it.
Beautiful description of reverence & respect …
When my daughter was a baby, I used to spend weekends with my mother, in my childhood home. One day, while I was walking with my baby, I saw one of my grandmother's friends. My gram had been dead for many years, as were most of her generation. I stopped to visit Mrs. Star.
I had to tell her who I was, as I hadn't seen her in many years. I thanked her for the memories I had of tea parties on her porch, while she told me stories about her tea cup collection. I remembered helping her pick blueberries to sell at her vegetable stand. Of course, she knew that we ate as many as we would bring to her!
After my visit, my mother told me that every time she would see Mrs. Star, she would say, "Did I tell you that little Debbie came to visit me?"
I had no idea that my visit would have such a positive impact. After that, I made a point of contacting people from my past who had made an impact on my life. I tracked down my high school art teacher. He had been a part of my life from 1st grade until I graduated. It wasn't easy to find him, as he had retired and moved away from my town. I was relentless! When I called him, he cried … and he said that I was the ONLY student who ever contacted him to say "thank you for all that you gave to me."
We are very good at holding grudges. We, as a society, are not so good at saying "Thank You!"
It is a gift to yourself, as well as the person who you admire.
I can admit I'm becoming quite envious of the folks who get to make these videos for Alain and SoL's essays. Similarly with Crash Course, and various educational channels on youtube.
What a fascinating thing to be commissioned to make: complimentary image to some of the most interesting subjects, people and ideas that we have. Like being in the world's sexiest, swottiest photoshop jam band.
Oh well. Here I go about to go and doodle on a free image editing software again, like the suburban dilettante that I am. To the tea machine, Wabi-sabians.
Thanks again to School of Life and all who sail on her.
+SimplyGimpy I feel greatly privileged to be one of the animators. It's a fantastic job.
+SimplyGimpy what are SoL essays?
+somegreybloke Holy shit man, you work on this? I used to watch your stuff. Great to see you're still doing cool shit bruh.
+Kaos Espada i believe SimplyGimpy is talking about School Of Life ('SoL essays'.)
Btw great initial comment as well! :)
+The School of Life
Alain de Botton, you are certainly a hero of mine! you are just fantastic! i love your inspiration and i especially love how unique you are! You have a special objectivity i certainly respect. You are a super balanced human being!
For instance i searched around the internet and found a great (radio/show) interview you did on "Religion for atheists" (you wrote your first book at 23yrs old? wow!!)
You see, the way i see it, most people see one thing (a certain factor of a perspective) and see it as the ONLY thing! and in doing so block out much of the other side to the situation.
For instance, maybe someone saw the (definite) downfalls to religion, and in seeing this, lost all the opportunities or qualities that come from religion.
Or the person who see's the good in religion, but as a result of (something like love-blindness+wishful thinking) ignored the potential downfalls of religion.
In short, people are black-VS-white (not black AND white, because then they'd see both sides, haha)
They see one factor and disregard the other side to the same thing.
anyways, they are both robbing themselves of potential growth and learning, by being one sided!
i am creative and love to learn and to share. I wish everyone could work together and make amazing work in collaboration. i just feel life is short, and there is so much that we could all do together if we set our mind to it.
Have a beautiful day everyone! :)
Thank you for this wonderful lesson! I remembered a poem I love, from one of our most beloved poets in Turkey: Orhan Veli. I wish he didn't die so young... He was a very fragile and melancholy person, but ( or because ) he had eyes to see! He really taught us how to find beauty and consolation in the most simple things. Here is the Cornel Tree:
It gave its first fruit this year,
That cornel tree:
Three cherries.
Next year it might give five:
Life is long,
We'll wait.
What does it matter?
Cornel tree, you're quite something.
Before you read the next poem, you have to remember the very first time you saw the sea. I was around 4 years old. I was in a bus sleeping. When I opened my eyes it was there. I got so scared! ( Black sea is quite something too! )
And Gemlik is a town in Turkey in west Anatolia, on the coast. Look what a beautiful warning:
"Approaching Gemlik
You'll catch sight of the sea:
Don't be surprised."
And if you are wondering why is it that we sometimes see the beauty everywhere around us and at other times we find ourselves totally numb and blinded to it all, Orhan Veli wonders too:
THERE MUST BE A CATCH SOMEWHERE
Is the sea as gorgeous as this every day?
Is this what the sky looks like all the time?
This furniture and this window
Are they always this lovely?
they aren't;
I swear they aren't;
There must be a catch somewhere.
Normally I'm not one to read poetry, but I'm very interested in the works of Orhan Veli now, thanks for sharing. :)
Hello there! I am very happy to hear that! He is the poet I love the most. If you search for this on google you'll find a website where you can read more of his wonderful poems:
"Orhan Veli translated by Talat Sait Halman"
Thanks a lot for your feedback. Best wishes:-)
DINDRAGON why lol
Lua...
Sometimes in the movie hall, you find someone more beautiful in the seats than the lady on the screen.
Your comment rivals the message in the video.
amazing than you for sharing, just started reading more of his work!
I've changed so much in the last few years, and never thought I'd be this happy. Looking back now, this video is one of the things that started it all
This video was, ironically, very well produced. Thank you.
Please turn your microphone volume up Alain!!
+Michael Winter Yeah, but you can enjoy imperfection in the video. I especially like the imperfect auto-subtitles. I found both funny and inspiring how Wabi-sabi was subtitled - the machine doesn't know the words and use close-sounding terms ... different terms each time :) Computers can be so poetic sometimes.
- well be savvy
- web ECB
- where he said he
- web service
- weapons happy
- happy and sad be
- sappy
- web-savvy
- peace abby
- 27
- happy Sabbath
+Michael Winter Yeah. They should have at least added a typo or something.
+Michael Winter the pronunciation of japanese words was godawful. you can take solace in that at least.
Indo Banged what does it mean to be ugly my man? you can't make a claim on that
Wabi Sabi resonates me at a deeply personal and spiritual level. In life's pursuit for perfection, we must not abandon or dismiss the imperfect. Thank you for this video.
I had never heard of wabi sabi before, but like any other reasonable gardener throughout the world, I feel that I have always instinctively appreciated such an aesthetic.
It is like how westerners love Rose and Japanese love cherry blossoms. Love as we know in western world is symbolized by rose. But when it dries and dies, Rose is intact. Not shattering. It's like clinging on to things even after it withers. Embodied by how marriage custom is in western world. Wedding is forged by rings, by promises. But in eastern world there was no rings to forge lovers. Everything is like cherry blossom. It blossoms so gracefully yet only to wither away as soon as it blossoms. Like everything is not to be clinged on.Like Cherry blossoms, to look at things only at that moment when it is available. Not to try to cling on to hollow shell even when it is no more. This is atleast how I understood it me being Asian.
There is a reason i wrote "how I understood it". I am not japanese. But my nation and japanese had a bit of history together. Attacking and getting attacked before. Even today japan and we have much relations going on. So I grew up being introduced to japanese ideas through morality. Even our ideas and their ideas are ingrained in each others culture. So when i heard what video was saying it felt so familiar, it hit me like nostalgia. So this is how i attempted to explain this familiar feeling since even in my culture, I grew up being taught these ideas shown in video.
+Dynamistic "Every tale contains a grain of truth." AMEN TO THAT!!!! People just see it in their own way! and people are addicted to doubt and skepticism! they NEED to be contrarian! haha!
The clarity of your words! oh man, i quite agree with you! i felt like i was reading things in my mind when i read what you wrote. haha! great minds think alike!
I try to live by the general principle of finding the truth in everything, in the context and sense that someone says and means something. "Every tale contains a grain of truth!"
and i love to study psychological projection! its funny how people don't see how much their own mind plays into that which they say to (and about) others.
(a particularly funny place where this happen in the most extreme form comes when people blame others in a condescending way.)
Humans are silly creatures!
but if one lives by the principle ("Every tale contains a grain of truth") then i think one will try to avoid the common biases that ever-so cause people to disagree or be contrarian!
Clear thinking my friend! keep it up!
Have a beautiful day! :)
+padkirsch Funny thing is, He says "every tale contains a grain of truth" and then dismisses the entire 'tale' and 'grain' of the person he's talking to ( Even though I completely agree with him :p )
An Gry That is called marriage. Marriage doesn't equal love.
+Nomado That is beautiful.
The elegance in being raw, imperfect and natural.
You guys fill my days with wisdom, peace, calm, serenity, tranquility, knowledge, etc. I don't know how to thank you enough. I wish I could do so much more.
I've been following a philosophy I didn't even know existed!
samesies.
lol
Stoicism and Wabi-Sabi are similar.
i was about to comment the same hah
LOL isnt it cool how we can elevate!
I love the beauty of a leaf covered tree in summer time, giving shade to those to sit under it - however I also love the beauty of those same leaves that are withering in autumn and falling to make a crinkling, rustling carpet beneath our feet. I love the beauty of the wrinkled face because it tells so many stories of each person's life.
Beyond aesthetics...
Wabi-sabi may also applies towards ourselves by understand and accept our imperfections which make us perfectly whole.
"it's a rainy day
the sky is gray
but we'll be happy
anyway"
from an old friend...
Wow. This was so inspiring, and uplifting as an artist. It was so validating to know that it is okay for things to be imperfect.
Yes indeed
I think connecting wabi Sabi to art betrays the essence of the philosophy of beauty in imperfection.... though I understand 100% your point.
The idea does have links to stoicism....Amor Fati....I am sure. All this Japanese imagery is a diversion.
Why do you say that? Wabi sabi is both Japanese philosophy and art. The japanese teacups are wabi sabi art. Same with the art of tea ceremony itself.
I wish we all could again adapt such great ideas from Eastern philosophies into today's society, even though it is so obvious that so many people already agree that they are beneficial.
Not everything in life has to be picture-perfect, but it is worth the picture still.
After watching many of these videos I've come to realise that human life, on a personal and cultural level, is largely influenced around the ideals followed and promoted by society at the time. And that these ideals change over time and are not inherently right or wrong. Basically all cultures have valued and believed different things at different times which has led to many different representations of what it means to be "good" or what is ideal. And most people accept this as truth, or at least go along with it.
Sure, there are some common ideals throughout the ages and certain ones may never be lost, like beauty for instance. But even beauty is very malleable and has changed just in my short life from thinking a petite woman's behind is attractive, to getting ridiculously large silicon implants to enlarge said behind. This is just one example of how cultural ideals can change quite quickly.
Anyway, though this is a simple realisation, it allows one to question the current ideals of society and whether there are better ways of living life. Currently, I think money, beauty and individual success are valued at the expense of other ideals such as wisdom, personal peace and community. Maybe its time people define their own ideals through personal reflection and study of history (thanks The School of Life!), and not just follow the materialistic, competitive, money driven mainstream culture of today.
What are your ideals?
Nickos Exactly! And you probably realized that certain civilizations influence other civilizations with their ideas about the afterlife, freewill, property rights, technology, beauty, etc. These videos are wonderful because they give us the opportunity to examine. our own values.
Welcome to the world of Cultural Relativism, in which your goals, your values and ideals, your understanding of who you are and how you fit in are ALL determined by the culture you're born into. Culteral Relativism is literally one of the most powerful and revolutionary ideas of the 20th century. It's the basis for our belief in human equality and the struggle for universal human rights that's been raging for a good 120 years now and is raging anew even now.
The serendipity of how humans communicate in the 21st century is quite baffling. There has never been such an overload of information or ' scientific Knowledge' amongst humans ever in the history of time. Humans far across away from each other never communicated so directly to one another and shared information. All communications in the past, up until the invention of telegram and post were through messages or crypts ,etc which had a sense of mystery and curiousness attached to it. The future of communication and information sharing is what is intriguing.
Keep going. You are flirting with premature enlightenment, and the only cure is to keep paying attention to the whole in order to see and think deeply enough to pierce the false (or incomplete, if you prefer) conclusions on which you appear to have settled. Best of luck to you.
So how will big corporations make money off this idea?
This is the first SOL video I stumbled upon. That was six months ago. I just viewed it again and it is still brilliant. This opened the door to me for the SOL, and I have explored within its realm thoroughly. What a gift. Thanks to all of you. I'm linking this to a fine potter I know, to see if I can inspire him.
Wonderful video, one of the reasons why I love Japan so much. Thank you School of Life for shedding light on this topic. The west has a lot to learn from our Asian cousins.
I love this idea. I spent my earlier years trying to improve my home and garden with not enough money to do it. One day it clicked. Enjoy that beautiful tree and stop worrying about having it trimmed into a perfect shape.
- what is that mess in your room?
- it isn't a mess, it's wabi-sabi!
+ZzzesChannel That gives me a great idea... xD
Yeah. Those tea houses are always so cluttered!
:-)
Lol
Fk you lol you made me laugh so hard.
Wise and wonderfully presented. Thank you.
I love all your videos but this one was exceptional. I knew nothing about this concept and you just taught an entirely new perspective on life. Thank you for presenting us this video.
Wabi sabi is about, 'being imperfectly perfect'- imperfection-20%, perfection-80%. It does not mean complete imperfection or dis-organisation. It is about reaching perfection but moving away from it a little bit.
Wabi sabi- 'Being imperfectly perfect is more perfect than being perfect'.
My interprutation was creating something and accepting the imperfection that came with it as beautiful. Did I get that right, or is there more extensive criteria?
@@chibigirl8545
1. Not just accepting the imperfection, But also introducing it voluntarily if there is none(introducing some imperfection into perfect things voluntarily )
2. Not just limited to man-made creations, any creation (any aesthetics)
3. can also be extended into any aspect of life. eg
a. 80%happiness, 20% sadness
b. 80% discipline , 20% lack of discipline
Wabi Sabi? There is beauty in finding what is on the threshold of beauty. All the dents and scratches on all my furniture, the chip on that bowl, that scar on my middle finger, these aging eyes...tell a story. And flawed beauty stayed over the other night, and slept til noon. She has her flaws. They make her what she is.
I recall my childhood back in the olden days. I visited (I was 4 or 5) them; walked right in after a knock. Not my mothers friends, but my grandmother's friends. And they all were beautiful. All flawed in different ways. Full of wisdom and unknowing lies. Some old maids, some widows. One just 4' 8", and one 280 pounds. And they died one by one. At peace. Having done all the good they could.
What a truly beautiful comment! I could visualize your grandmother's friends! Thank you
Thanks for sharing
These films bring to near tears almost every video. Truly an inspiration.
It takes wisdom to separate the imperfect from garbage. Don't mistake the two.
Value is subjective, evaluate imperfection with care and consideration before labeling something as trash.
@@johnf2442 侘寂
Finding good utility of garbage takes more wisdom still
@@gconquer i don't understand the comment, but it is lovely to look at 🌿
Completely missed the point of the movement
Wabi Sabi isn't about mess, ugliness or anything negativity, is about recognize that things (and people) have history, experience circumstances and growth old and not because those years and circumstances leave marks mean they are worthless, Wabi Sabi means we need to learn that those dent and marks are sign of value 'cus they show us experience gained along the path. Why try to hide your imperfections while are those imperfections that make you unique?
One of the most inspiring lessons i heard from school of life. To me this is new theory, about a very recognizable thing. Thanks you for putting words to this. It has changed the way I look at esthetics!
This video made me think of Japan as a whole following wabi-sabi. I'm half Japanese and have lived in Japan for more than half my life, and there are so many things that follow this philosophy.
The food here, at least in the traditional restaurants, almost always follow wabi-sabi in the most subtle ways, whether it includes adding a cherry blossom to your dish during springtime, or using seasonal foods; they always include nature in their food (if that makes any sense).
On top of that, the very cities follow this philosophy. It is pretty uncommon to find perfectly straight roads that go on for miles, other than highways and some in the major cities. The streets are always imperfect, rarely in a grid, with lots of nature mixed in, whether there are small weeds growing through the side, or somebody's apricot tree hanging over into the street. Houses are almost never symmetrical, and seem a bit chaotic, but there is still order. Nowadays, however, I noticed there are more and more Western houses popping up that are the same color, square, and identical to the ones around it.
Anyway, this was a little rant of what this video made me think of. Thanks for the quality videos, SoL!
+Squid53214 That was quite insightful, thanks.
+Squid53214 Tbh, it reminds me of seasonal beer (hope I don't sound insulting of flippant) where various "Seasonal" beers only use ingredients that are only available during certain times of the year.
I enjoyed reading this 😊
I learned that when Japanese artists made a work of art they considered too perfect, they would deliberately paint a "mistake," in order to make it more beautiful in this way. I always loved that.
How beautiful explanation!
And I like voice of the person who is explaining this.
"There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion." Francis Bacon, 1625.
Do you think francis bacon would have been into hentai
@@vitriolicAmaranth Maybe not the 1625 Francis B. but perhaps the 1909-1992 Francis Bacon would have snuggled up to it.
@@tgargoyle8068 tee bee aitsh I think most alchemists would have waifus. In fact I think some of them did.
Damn i am so high it hit hard
I so wish at least half the world watches this work of yours. Richly Beautiful the message at the end .
This is a good video in some ways, but quite frustrating in the way it passes just by the critical influences on the development of this aesthetic without actually making contact.
SoL and Alain, for whom I have a great deal of respect, seem quite idealist in their treatment of 'ideas'.
Wabi-sabi was preceded by an earlier dominant aesthetic and its rise cannot properly be understood without reference to real-world changes in the politics and economy of Japan. This could easily be done without changing the current video much at all in terms of either timing or content.
While it is valid for Alain to begin his discussion with Eisai in 1191 it is remiss of him not to mention the gradual loss of power and reduction to poverty of the previous Japanese ruling class, the emperor and traditional nobles, the kuge, (and the eclipse of the social order that they had developed) by the rise of the warrior class, the samurai.
Wabi-sabi is quite different from what preceded it and may reasonably be described as an aesthetic of poverty. In many ways it is nothing more mysterious or 'exotic' than that.
The previous traditional ruling class, first based in Nara and then Kyoto, lost political power and economic clout and fell into poverty. The change in power formally occurred in 1192 (though the process was, of course, much older than that), the year after Eisai brought green tea and Rinzai Zen (not all Zen) from China, when the Kamakura shogunate was established in Kamakura, near present-day Tokyo. The samurai class deliberately established its capital there in order to escape what it saw as the effete and corrupting culture of the kuge, as well as to secure the strategic and agricultural/economic advantage of the Kanto plain, the largest flat area in this mountainous country.
It was this impoverishment of the kuge, which nevertheless retained cultural cachet and wished to distance itself from what it saw as the boorish and uncouth soldiery of the samurai, that forced the development of an aesthetic of imperfection for the simple reason that it could no longer indulge in its previous luxury and had to make do in straitened circumstances. This also set up a tension in Japanese culture between the culture of the kuge and that of the samurai. This tension informs the later development of the tea ceremony (and much else besides) which may usefully be seen as a continuation of the struggle between the two for cultural dominance. The video would have been richer had this been incorporated into it.
Ideas do not exist in isolation from the world, as Alain's often inspiration the ancient Greeks (and Romans) knew and well understood. To consider wabi-sabi without consideration of poverty and the loss of political and economic power is to close off a deep and rewarding understanding of ideas and aesthetics and how they actually evolve and not as we like to imagine they do. This leads Alain to the predictably shallow and intellectually naive claim that modern Japanese women's consumption of Louis Vuitton handbags is symptomatic of the destruction of traditional Japanese values by the rampaging Godzilla of 'Western' consumerism (and its implication of the dreaded planet-destroying 'imperialism'/'neo-colonialism').
Throughout Japanese history, including long before contact with the West, prosperous Japanese (including the kuge before they lost power and prosperity) have appreciated and sought out what Alan wrongly calls 'Western values of shininess, perfection and symmetry'. This cartoonish, Romantic and ultimately misleading opposition of a posited crass West and sophisticated East has a long history in the West, a history of which Alain cannot be unaware. It is all the more disappointing, therefore, that he chooses to propagate it like an undergraduate.
+The School of Life How should I contact you?
+Topknot Thank you for your critique.
I think the school of life's main purpose is to widen our horizons, even though admittedly improvements could be made based on your evaluation. As an educational channel it succeeded to inspire, as '... great educators inspires.' And sometimes to inspire small sacrifices of detail is left out.
+raami jackson Agreed. I don't think anyone would argue that the west has been especially imposing of it's culture onto Japan (with respect to the rest of the "far east"). Japan's rapid industrialization and the aftermath of WW2 being overt examples of what is otherwise a more covert and insidious, yet obvious phenomenon of the spread of consumerist culture that comes alongside a global uptake of consumer-driven economics. I don't think it was an intellectually naive claim at all, and that is putting aside what I saw as the actual purpose that comparison, which was just to "come full circle" with a largely western audience to these videos in order to breathe relevance into an old philosophy.
It's good to be critical with philosophy, but it too easily turns into bitter one-up-man-ship. With presumptuous words like "predictably" and "naive" being used I can't help but feel like that's a little of what's happened here.
One of the most cogent and well articulated comments on you tube.
+Topknot Very good comment. SoL's videos are one of the only places where one can see such comments. I learned a lot from you, sir/miss. It really is something that we tend to do as a species in general, romanticize, idealize history. Having a holistic understanding of reality is the hardest accomplishment as a human, but I guess it probably is worth it. One can try, at the very least.
Beautifully explained in a Japanese minimalist manner
I loved this gentle reminder to embrace the imperfect. I appreciate the concept of wabi sabi, being part Japanese myself. My only complaint of this video is the mispronunciation of wabi sabi. Otherwise beautifully done!!
This has to be the one of the most beautiful and important videos I have ever came across in the world of RUclips. Simply, I wanna say thank you to everyone involved in this video 😽 mad love and now I'm subscribed
Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. School of Life: I forbid you to ever leave the Internet.
School of Life, you give me so much joy and peace!
thanks you again school of life
The beauty in imperfection. Why do we love kids. Even when as adults we hate each other due to some reason or the other. The effort for perfection and the innocent mistakes makes us more human.
This was an incredible video, as are the rest which you produce. Thank you for all that you all do.
A true lesson for artists and musicians.
The greatest coincidence of all time! This video will definitely help me explore wabi sabi within the Fine Arts.
Had a Aunt who was the most giving person you could ever meet. She was over energetic to say the least, so most of her cups where cracked, broken and my uncle would glue them back together. After she passed many family members where at odds with each other over the money she left, I am so grateful I got the cups, I am enjoying a tea out of one right now.
Thank you for giving me a name for what I feel when I use these cups.
Beautiful remark. I hope you find from time to time company to enjoy the special tea.
Wabi-Sabi, to the pimples on my face :-)
Obsessive imperfection as a way of life. It's like striving for the perfection in reverse.
Just chill and do as good as you can in the moment.
Thank you for this video. I watch it frequently to remain grounded.
Yes
I have never heard of this before today, and yet find it is something I have been deeply drawn to for a few years now. Thank you for posting this. Things like this make me love RUclips.
Great channel, thank you, enjoying all your videos
There's an aesthetic in Santa Fe that is sort of wabi-sabi--a mixing of bright colors, expensive old things, cheap plastic things, layers of paint that are allowed to chip so the old colors show through. There's a belief that the accidental can end up being beautiful in a way that could not have been planned. It is not fussy, and doesn't need to be expensive either, but creating it demands a pretty refined aesthetic. One ends up with objects or buildings where creativity and decay combine in a pleasing way.
I am asian descended, my great grandparents were immigrants. It's funny how some of my families' habits kinda echo wabi-sabi's philosophy. It's very hard to explain, but there's a tendency to cherish objects from the past. So much so that it's easy for them to slip into hoarder mode and have a hard time letting go of the past.
Still, it's very interesting realizing there's a cultural explanation for some family habits I've never understood.
I came in contact with Wabi Sabi from japanese car culture, and adapted it when i got my current car, which was meant for the press. i rescued it, fixed it up, replaced parts, made it running, pass inspections and all that.
But its not perfect, the paint finish is flaking off on the roof, there are dents, scratches, the interior is aged, showing discoloration. but all in all, i wouldnt want it new and shiny and flashy. 23 years made it what it is - to me its beautiful.
and understanding all this, helped me with other aspects of life. not always, no, but it helped!
The idea of wabi sabi has released me from the trap of perfectionism, so prevalent in Western civilization. Seeing a leaf, with a tiny hole eaten by some insect, is wabi sabi. It enriches, not diminishes, my world view.
Yesterday, when I was coming home after work from the city, amidst the tall buildings and supermarkets beside the road, there was a small old house, and the lights were on inside, which meant someone was still living there. I felt quite glad. Although their land must be worth millions, I'm still happy that they choose to live their in their little humble home, right next to all those posh looking buildings and supermarkets. I hope they never sell.
Really hate to be that guy, but as someone who's studied Japanese - it's "wah"-"bee" "saw"-"bee" - the first two syllables using a light A that rhymes with "maw" or "jaw". Kinda sounds silly to hear it pronounced as is here, but a great testament to the delivery of the content that in spite of the oversight, the video remained so rich and engaging throughout!
It made my skin crawl every time he said it.
Not all languages are sourced from multiple romance languages, have inconsistent rules regarding the pronunciation of the words, nor require years of study to gain a basic mastery. Welcome to English, be it the Queen's English or American or some other variation thereof.
People aren't asking for much to say "hey, this is the right to say it." That's called basic copy-check when producing content.
I had to stop watching... Wabby Sabby is just... It was too much.
...love imperfection, positive impermanence & rustic look 👍🏽The school of Life Thank you xo
I f*ckin love these videos, please never stop making them.
Someone appreciate the research put into each and every one of this guys videos. My God!
Alain your explanation of aesthetics and simplicity by means of higher philosophy creates a tiny yet strong swirl on any, you have earmarked an onset of a modern Rennaissance, for which I provide a humble bow in a peculiar language, indeed a language which the modern world has cremated, a language of love, a language of heart, a language of humanity. Let this rennaissance triumph, it will, because, revolution always triumphs
This video is good for the planet. We should start taking care of our belongings, rather than just buying new ones all the time!
Hum, actually there is an equivalent to wabi-sabi in the Western World, especially in 17th Century France. It was called the "baroque" movement. The word "baroque" derives from the italian "barrocco" which means "imperfect pearl". The idea of the baroque movement was that beauty could be found in imperfection, irregularity and ephemeralness. Look it up. I beg your pardon if my english was bad, I'm just doing my best to enlighten you ;-)
Fedor Pliskin Baroque was kinda gaudy though...
That would make it similar to sabi, but completely unrelated to wabi.
IMHO there's no corresponging style or philosophy in European cultures, but elements of this could be found throughout European history. They flow naturally from genuine heartfelt Christianity and/or humanism, or simply from people not having much money but being content with what they have or what they can do. You find mentions in old European books of "my grandmother is the most beautiful person in the world", "our old family cupboard is battered but we wouldn't buy a new one for the world", imperfect and slightly assymetrical medieval, Renaissance and Baroque buildings, Regency scarves not trying to hide the fact that they're actually two scarves sewn together etc. etc.... :-)
There is much to appreciate about Wabi -sabi for sure. Keeping things simple and appreciating the natural way of things, perceived flaws and all. I love and relate to the idea of cracks in pottery being more interesting than a perfect piece, like bubbles in glass. Same with a freshly cleaned path with some newly fallen leaves on it. Retreating is a big one also, and de-existing from chaos would be a dream.
beauty in the imperfections ..
How can you be so succint and poetic at the same time? 1 minute in and you nailed it. Beautiful (but not perfect)
Charlie Brown had this in his heart when he went looking for a Christmas tree.
+Stephen Perry I do think bits of Wabi-Sabi do stick out in Judeao-Christianity. Jesus asking the rich man to give to the poor, Solomon speaking in Lamentations about how he had it all and yet didn't have peace, etc...
You're thinking of Ecclesiastes.
Jesus definitely understood Wabi-Sabi.
"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
Oh, this is so good! I thoroughly enjoyed it! And...Alain's way of narrating is so amazing! LOVE IT!
This is such a beautiful idea!
Gracias por enseñar la belleza y sabiduría en mirar nuestro entorno.
remember wabi sabi when your using photoshop or illustrator to make everything "clean" and symmetrical
Beautiful explanation and graphics. I'm so lucky I visited Japan, a dream from childhood. I thought I would go back--but--Corona, a breakdown of health...it won't happen. However, this video is like a window to see what I saw, hear what I didn't know, and understand what I felt. Thank you!
It's pronounced "wahbee-sahbee", "ah" as in a British pronunciation of "bath", less nasal.
thats how hes pronouncing it
@@Lifesizemortal actually, as someone fluent in Japanese, I know he isn't pronouncing it correctly.
Yeah seconded. His pronunciation is absurd and distracting. Has he ever heard Japanese?? He seems to have done a lot of good research but then outright butchers the pronunciation of every place and name. It's almost like he's doing it on purpose
@@NortonBoxesMD
I said wabi-sabi (the way he pronounced it) to my daughter who is half Japanese (and her first language is Japanese), and there was so much confusion written on her face. Then finally got it after I pronounced it correctly. Even Google Translate gets it correctly. Phonetically speaking, Japanese is pretty straight forward.
@@spicystrawberri perhaps we should accept his imperfect pronunciation in the spirit of Wabi Sabi?
Just kidding.
“Mistake” where child’s voice cuts off at the end... I see what use oh did there! Nice.
Now to remember that all of life’s imperfections are to be accepted and even appreciated. Well done, School of Life.
Y'all need to do a video on "Mono No Aware".
This video was a great example of wabi sabi itself.
I enjoyed this imperfected production that you displayed.
Hang on. A *perfect* practitioner of wabi-sabi? There goes self-consistency.
Or does it?
Enjoy everything. Enjoy life.
To me, wabi-sabi is all about perfection. The perfect of nature. So I don't really like it when Westerners connect wabi-sabi and imperfection. It doesn't feel right at all.
A plane garden with some leaves are beautiful. But it doesn't mean you can leave the garden dirty with random leaves and sticks. Throw some leaves on a dirty garden, the leaves will only be another garbage. They won't make any beauty. At the same time, it's easy to keep the garden just clean. You don't have to think but keep sweeping. Choosing the right leaves and throwing them at the right place is hard. You want something natural but also beautiful.
Practicing wabi-sabi is difficult. You want nature but you can't do it without skills and mind.
Perfect things are not perfect enough. Add wabi-sabi, then it'll be closer to perfect.
I agree it came from Buddhism. 色即是空、空即是色. And I can see lots of Shintoism in it.
I've never heard this word before, but I feel that it fits perfectly with ideas that have swum around my head for as long as I can remember.
And here I was just making tea by boiling up a kettle and pouring it over a tea bag.
+TomHasVideo Don't sweat it. It is the imperfection that you have to accept after all. This method does not imply a ritual of status, but rather the simple process of you wanting to drink tea and, above all, enjoy it. Whether it is done through ritual or not.
Make peace with the fact that you did it, rather than envying how it should be done according to a monk who lived hundreds of years ago with no mark on our own culture. A Zen Buddhist once said, "if you meet the Buddha, kill him," this is an essential thought to wabi-sabi, showing that the nature of things change over time. It is not a good idea to dwell on the past.
the ultimate wabi sabi
beauty of nature and it's uncertainty. this idea deeply resonates with me
Ripped jeans: Western societies have also some Wabi-Sabi traits.
Commercially sold ripped jeans are purposefully weared and weathered. True wabi Sabi jeans wear organically.
Joushou Tengoku The tea cups were also made with deliberate mistakes.
@@henricuss tea bowls are deliberately made with wonks and the glaze are uneven. It is nod to wabi Sabi but they aren't truly wabi Sabi. Once the cups are used repeatly and acquire marks, scratches and chips of their own achieved with time and use that comes about through random chance and happenstance it come into its own and achieve true wabi Sabi. Pre distressed denim jeans is nod to wabi Sabi but not truly as it is deliberate and cultivated wear not organic but can achieve true wabi Sabi with wear. That is the heart of wabi Sabi. The acquiring of loss and fatigue and acceptence that things aren't permanent or perfect and that beauty can be achieved by the unpredictability of life. Wabi Sabi is also the personalization of objects through your own personal use of them rather than the deliberate and preconceived 'mistakes' the manufacturer or craftsman makes. In the case of bowls and jeans that are commercially made they are 'perfect' even with their inbuilt mistakes because that's how the manufacturer intended them to be and and will remain the manufacturer or craftsman own item because it's their creation. But with your own use you then make it truly yours and make it more beautiful. No one else can wear down a object like you do and your own life, feelings and emotions (happiness and sorrow) will be invested in that object. Organic growth and wear achieved by one's own use through random chance rather than pre conceived and deliberate mistakes is what is at the heart of wabi Sabi.
the ripping jeans shud be natural, not manufactured
or dysfunctional family
Brilliant! So wee done. Thank-you.
My room and desktop is as wabi-sabi as it can get!
Mongis Lort my possessions
LOL me too - my life!!
Oh I loved loved loved this.. content, narration, imagery… everything.. thank you
The a in Japanese is pronounced "ah" as in "AH, I se what you did there", I'm pretty sure
Gabe aso aso lol
I wondered that myself but I’m not certain. Can anyone clarify the pronunciation?
@@Seeker0fTruth ka sa ta na wa are all pronounced as ah as in car as opposed to a short “a”
He should be pronouncing it as “warbi sarbi”
Small point but does make listening to his Japanese a little jarring
@@sasaki_on_aoba thank you!!!!!
amazing, absolutely love this video, thank you for sharing this concept with us.
This is now my reason for having crooked teeth.
great! don't bother brushing them either! Sabi is good for your teeth, and your mind.
@@iga279 Don't be stupid. He only mentioned the crooked teeth not washing and brushing the mouth and the teeth.
@@beneu95 what are you babbling about? I suggest you put a hearing device on your crooked ears before making any comments.
Excellent work. Thank you.
idk, it seems like they screwed up wabi-sabi a long time ago when they started making cups with flaws intentionally. You have to let that stuff come naturally with age. Thats why its better to try and do things perfectly and let the wabi-sabi come on its own. That way it doesn't come across as fake. Sadly like the people of today, even the ancient japanese were impatient.
Wabi-sabi, and the feelings associated with it, explains a lot about the fascination we feel when we explore ruins of ancient cities, temples and other landmarks, or examine old artifacts that have worn down with time. The ruined state of the ancient objects and structures evoke a sense of mystery; in a poignant way, it reveals the history of the artifact, making us wonder how such artifact changed throughout its history, and how it decayed to its present state. The vast appeal of archaeology derives a lot from the philosophy of Wabi-sabi, because it explores the wondrous mysteries of ruined objects.
Good video. Treated the subject succinctly and with deference. You could've practiced your pronunciation a bit more though on some of the Japanese words. But hey - appreciation of imperfection is the theme.
At first we learn from buddha that Attachment is root of all pain. So the practioners try to distance to attachment or happiness. But in a larger picture, Wabi Sabi teaches us that everything can be loved. Even the pain, the aging. Everything can be loved if we try harder and to me thats better than just distancing oneself from any attachment.
Appreciation is possible without attachment. Or, probably at some stages many things are better appreciated without being self-consciously attached to them.
It seems my whole life is wabi-sabi and I didn't even realise.
A very interesting philosophy.
Thanks, School of Life.
I have been appreciating Wabi-sabi all of my life, and never knew others made a whole commitment to the imperfect.
Very enjoyable.
I need to watch it with subtitles or I won't understand everything that is said. But dude, this auto generated subtitled transcribed wabi-sabi as happy Sabbath lol
+Gustavo Ramos The same! :D I experience the same.
beautiful