> > "grown up" means one who behaves with proper ethical conduct, but more
> > importantly, it implies that ethical conduct is learned through
> > experience--
> However, your definition of "grown up", which I quoted above, is one I've
> never heard before, nor has my wife, and we're both literate, middle-aged, native
> English speakers. To both of us, "grown up" is a colloquial synonym of
> "adult" with no implication of being ethical or wise.
Words at face value mean nothing. If "adult" means a biologically
fully grown human, then what does it mean when you say: "act like a
grown up"? It's merely saying "act like a fully grown human" which
has no meaning whatsoever. :)
In the context of "act like a grown up," the word "adult" or
"grownup" itself imply an ethical behavior in the capacity of a fully
grown human.
This is what I find most remarkable about keigo in Japanese society.
The philosophy of not taking words at face value is somewhat built
into their social structure. e.g. In order to pay someone a
compliment, you say something humbling about yourself. Consequently,
Crystal's comments is just another form of keigo, whereby she insults
me by exalting herself (and the group).
It would've been interesting to see how Japanese culture would've
evolved without western influences, because the very idea that one
culture inherently implemented what was said in Christian teachings
("beware of flowery words") is nothing short of spectacular. While
it's true that western civilization was advanced technologically,
Japanese culture was and is advanced in other, deeper ways. It's too
bad that keigo is somewhat diminishing in Japan. A coagulation and
convergence of the shallow human consciousness that is western society
today. The society of "sex in the city" and "does oral sex matter to
him?" in cosmopolitan magazines. A society of fools. Too bad.
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