≪今回のworkshop≫
参加人数：19名（うち新人の方：4名）
（詳しいディスカッションの様子はInstagramへ 掲載）
≪FIRST HALF≫
Company Social Events: Tradition Worth Keeping or Time to Let Go?
Many Japanese companies have a long tradition of “shinbokukai”—company social gatherings designed to build friendship among employees. In a typical system, a small amount is automatically deducted from every employee’s monthly salary, and the collected money is used to hold events a few times a year, such as parties, BBQs, or company trips. For decades, this was simply part of working life, and few people questioned it.
Times are changing, however. Some employees now see automatic deduction as unfair: why should they pay for events they may not want to attend? Some companies are responding. For example, one company recently ended its monthly salary deduction and switched to a new style— employees pay the actual cost only for the events they join. This small change raises bigger questions: Is building friendship at work still important today? And if it is, what is the best way to do it?
In this session, we’ll share our experiences with company social events and discuss how workplace relationships should be built in today’s world—or whether they need to be built at all.
<Questions>
Q1. Does your company (or a company you know) have social events like parties, BBQs, or trips? How is the cost covered, and do you usually enjoy joining them?
Q2. Which system do you think is better: collecting money automatically from everyone, or paying the actual cost each time you join? Why?
Q3. Some people say building friendship among coworkers improves teamwork, while others say work is work and private time should stay private. Do you think companies should actively create opportunities for employees to bond?
Q4. Under the pay-per-event system, joining becomes “free choice.” But those who don’t join may be seen as unfriendly, or miss useful information and connections. Is this kind of participation truly free? Have you ever joined an event only because you felt you had to?
≪LATTER HALF≫
The Ethics of Pharmacological Enhancement and Medicalization
Pharmaceutical drugs were originally created to heal the sick and save lives. Today, however, they are increasingly used for a different purpose: to boost healthy people’s brainpower, control emotions, and manage modern stress. This trend moves far beyond traditional medicine, changing how we work, study, and view human behavior.
For example, many healthy students and professionals take smart drugs like Adderall or Modafinil to stay awake and focus during stressful deadlines. Similarly, many adults rely on anti-anxiety pills or antidepressants simply to cope with overwork and toxic work environments. In schools, more children receive ADHD medication, raising debate over whether we are treating real medical conditions or just forcing energetic kids to sit quietly.
This shift raises a key question: Where should we draw the line between treating a disease and artificially changing human nature?
Supporters view pharmacological enhancement as a rational choice. They argue that if technology can make us smarter, calmer, and more productive, we should embrace it to overcome biological limits and succeed in a competitive world. To them, taking a pill to improve focus is no different from drinking coffee or using computers.
Conversely, critics worry we are becoming overly dependent on quick chemical fixes. They warn that relying on pills prevents us from addressing the real causes of suffering. If a worker needs daily medication just to endure an abusive workplace, the issue is the environment, not their brain chemistry. Using drugs this way acts as a temporary anesthetic, allowing unfair social structures to persist unchanged.
Furthermore, critics argue this creates social pressure, forcing others to take drugs just to keep up. Finally, if our happiness, focus, or kindness comes from a pill, we must ask: Is that still the real you, or are we losing our genuine humanity?
<Questions>
Q1. Personal Experience & Personal Choice: Have you ever taken caffeine, supplements, or medication to boost your focus or manage daily stress? Do you consider this a natural part of modern life?
Q2. Performance & Fairness: Is it ethical for healthy students or professionals to use smart drugs (cognitive enhancers) to gain an advantage in exams or at work? How does this compare to athletic doping?
Q3. Medication and the “Real You”: If a pill can make a person much happier, calmer, or kinder every day, do you think that person is still being their “true self”? Would you take such a pill if it was completely safe?
Q4. Cultural & Historical Shifts: Traits that were once considered just ‘personalities’ or ‘character flaws’ (like extreme shyness, laziness, or bad temper) are now often diagnosed as medical conditions. Is this shift a positive medical progress, or are we turning normal human differences into illnesses?
(Please share the answer to Question 3 or Question 4 at the end of discussion.)