There is a theory that the "Mizukake （水掛論）" comes from the Kyogen play "Mizukake Muko ," In English, the word "mizukake" is said to be "he said/she said argument”. It's quite obvious and understandable. The reason why people get into arguments is because they believe that they are right, and they believe that they can persuade the other person with their words.
In this respect, the theory of Taiheki （体癖論）is built on the premise that people cannot understand each other. The theory of Taiheki divides individuals shaped by the direction of their sensitivity into 10 types. People naturally judge things based on their own standards, and believe that these judgments are universal. It maybe true that if we don't believe that, it is difficult for us to survive. However, in the theory of Taiheki, ten standards are set. In other words, at its starting point, a standard or universality that can be shared by all of humanity are not set. It starts from the exact opposite, realism. Of course, before that, there is the basic premise that everyone is alive.
In the early days of Taiheki theory, it is said that people sometimes used animal metaphors to describe these types of people, such as a giraffe and a raccoon. The big question is whether giraffes and raccoons can understand each other. In fact, unless you go to a zoo, giraffes and raccoons, two different species, will never live together. However, humans live together as the same species. This is where it gets really tricky, but also really interesting.
There is a concept in biology called the Umwelt(
environment in English) proposed by a German bio-philosopher named Uexküll. he said that all animals live in a perceptual world that is unique to their species. That's right, each animal sees the world differently and lives in a different world. The theory of Taiheki is similar to this. The problem is that humans believe that we all live in the same world. Or we've been led to believe that we have to live according to a uniform standard that has been socially formed.
The most interesting part of Seitai theory lies in the pursuit of how these originally incomprehensible people can synchronize with each other and how they can overcome the world of Taiheki that confines them. The world of Seitai is about cultivating the ability to enjoy this discrepancy between oneself and others. Bothersome?
Be aware , we are living in bothersome world.
Why did I start thinking about this "Mizukake-ron"?
Because I am in the middle of it.
This is a translation of 「水掛論」https://dohokids.blogspot.com/2021/12/blog-post.html
Translation was done with a help of DeepL https://www.deepl.com/translator.
Comments and feedback on this translation are welcome.
