Does the Nail that Stands Up Actually Get Hammered Down?

"The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." It's Japan 101. It's as fundamentally Japanese as sumo, sushi, Mt. Fuji, and cherry blossoms in the spring. The famous cultural commentator Ruth Benedict in her 1946 book "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" wrote the following:

The rules of giri are strictly rules of required repayment; they are not a set of moral rules like the Ten Commandments. When a man is forced with giri, it is assumed that he may have to override his sense of justice and they often say, ‘I could not do right (gi) because of giri.’ Nor do the rules of giri have anything to do with loving your neighbor as yourself; they do not dictate that a man shall act generously out of the spontaneity of his heart. A man must do giri, they say, because, ‘if he does not, people will call him “a person who does not know giri” and he will be shamed before the world.’ It is what people will say that makes it so necessary to comply. Indeed, ‘giri to the world’ often appears in English translation as ‘conformity to public opinion,’ and the dictionary translates ‘It can’t be helped because it is giri to the world’ as ‘People will not accept any other course of action.’

Ruth wrote this work, which is still the topic of much academic discussion even today, without ever setting foot in Japan. It was begun under orders of the War Department in 1944, so Ruth, as a US citizen, was of course unable to travel to Japan and interview Japanese citizens. It perpetuated a number of stereotypes that one still hears today; the Japanese conform to codes that have been inculcated in them from a very early age.

First, to get one misunderstanding out of the way, the expression isn't about "nails" sticking up. There is a strong possibility that the expression predates the existence of nails in Japan. Additionally, the word which is translated as "nail" is really a garden stake. When making a fence, particularly in a garden, it's traditional to make the fence by hammering equal-length wooden stakes in the ground. The stakes which stand up too high are hammered until they are all the stakes in the fence are of the same length, or at least follow a uniform distribution pattern.

Second, I'm not sure that the exact meaning of the phrase is understood, which is troubling given how frequently one hears it. The main meaning in Japanese is that people who have outstanding talents or skills are envied by others, and if they display those talents audaciously, others will attempt to bring them down. Is this really a unique Japanese concept? Think of how many people make it a habit to express their hate of famous and successful people? People love to identify themselves in opposition to conventionally popular things. In the West, that's almost the entire definition of so-called "hipsters." Is it so weird that Japanese people feel the same way?

Thirdly, I think there is a belief that all Japanese feel this way all the time. This is clearly not the case. Shohei Ohtani is a remarkable talent, both a fearsome pitcher as well as a power hitter. He could not have risen to his level of performance by hiding his talents out of fear of upsetting others. And Japanese language contains fixed proverbs which run contrary to the theme of "the nail (stake) which sticks up gets hammered down." One is "Knowing what is right and not doing it is a want of courage." (義を見てせざるは勇無きなり) This phrase, while lesser known amongst foreigners, is also an important cultural touchstone for Japanese. And doing the right thing in the face of opposition certainly involves sticking out. And finally, there is "A stake which protrudes too much cannot be hammered down." (出すぎた杭は打たれない) This is a well known expression in business and a clear indication that if one is going to stand out, one needs to anticipate to the inevitable backlash.

Quora and other places where one goes to ask questions of the internet have many questions from Japanese asking other Japanese about this expression. Almost invariably the discussion goes to something like, "is this the way it is in (Europe, America)?" There are two things of interest in these questions for me. First, even the Japanese believe that envy of the successful is a fundamental characteristic of Japanese culture. To some degree, I believe this is a belief that the Japanese tell themselves. In my experience, the reality is far more nuanced. Otherwise there would be no Japanese superlatives. But in an important way, culture is what we tell ourselves is true about us. Second, I am surprised to hear many Japanese say that "no, it's not true in (Europe/America)." While it is humbling to read this, I disagree. It is quite easy as an American to think of many successful people who are widely hated mostly for their success. Perhaps I wish that America was the country many Japanese people believe it to be.