[Book Review] On Unreasonable Work (Bungeishunju)

What left the biggest impression on me after reading this book was that it was less about "how to navigate an unreasonable society" and more about "how not to lose your emotions amidst that unreasonableness."

Judging by the title alone, it looks like a book about survival strategies for working professionals or how to deal with work-related stress.

In fact, it has those aspects too. But as you read on, you start to feel halfway through that "this is more about a way of life than a theory of work."

First of all, what was amazing was the depth and detail of Futa Sakai's theories. And the sheer volume of content he consumes. He doesn't just stick to business books; he includes novels, movies, manga, theater, and internet culture—he is constantly touching upon the lives and emotions of others. Moreover, it doesn't feel like he's consuming them as mere intellectual cultivation. It looks like he's consuming them to keep his own emotions from dulling.

Recently, thanks to social media and AI, we can get "correct answers" far too quickly. If you search for your worries, someone has already put them into words. Theories on work, love, and life are all more or less explained somewhere.

But this book has a very strong sense of discomfort with that.

There is a sentence that says, "Your emotions, at least, cannot be spoiled for anyone else. Because emotions cannot be understood unless you experience them yourself," and I thought this was a very essential point.

In this day and age, it is easy to "feel like you understand" the emotions of others. Stories of hardship and success all flow through your timeline. But in reality, unless you have the experience of being hurt yourself or the experience of being passionate about something yourself, other people's words will just pass by as mere information.

Perhaps that is why there are so many "young people who seem to have figured out life" lately.
They efficiently avoid failure and try to reach the correct answer by the shortest route. But as a result, they even avoid "experiences that move their emotions." Instead of failing, they become unable to be enthusiastic about anything.

What is repeated throughout this book is the idea that you should cherish your "emotions" and "impulses."


Hearing just this kind of talk might sound like platitudes. But in reality, if you have been a working professional for a long time, you understand. If you live only by efficiency, people gradually lose their "vitality."

Getting work done, optimizing, avoiding failure, reading the room, and acting smart—these things are important in themselves, but if that's all you do, one day you will suddenly ask yourself, "What am I doing this for?"

I think what is needed at that moment is not logical correctness, but impulse.

This book also says, "Society is unreasonable, so only take it half-seriously." But at the same time, it says, "Within that half, acknowledge the value of your own cards." You don't need to take everything to heart and break down. But you shouldn't be completely cynical either. The feeling of continuing to search for that middle ground felt strangely realistic.

I think people can only be moved in the true sense when they get "serious." Unless you dive into uncertainty and experience your own emotions being shaken, life will end in a state of perpetual critique mode.

That is why this book might not be one to read when you think "Damn it!", but rather "a book to check if your own emotions are still alive."