There is no such thing as fact. Only interpretation exists.

Hello, I'm copywriter Hirotaro Abe.

I work at Dentsu Inc. Content Business Design Center, planning and producing content.

Recently, I published a book titled " That Might Just Be Your Assumption? Practicing 'Interpretation' Unbound by Someone Else's 'Right Answer' " with Discover 21.

Discover Twenty-One, 288 pages, ¥1,650 (tax included), ISBN 978-4799327371

This book helps you gently embrace the anxieties and worries that flood this uncertain era by changing your " interpretation," guiding you toward a way of living that feels right to you.

"Because the atmosphere around me is like this, I must be like this too."
"Because my parents or seniors say so, I have to do it that way."
"Because everyone else is like this, that's just how it is. "

Do you ever impose such arbitrary assumptions on yourself?

I believe that by listening to your inner voice and forming your own interpretations, you can live more authentically. In this series, I'll introduce ways to shift your perspective—approaches only a copywriter can offer—using concrete examples.

What sparked my intense focus on interpretation

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, what we considered "normal" changed rapidly. To avoid being too swayed by these rapidly shifting values, I strongly felt we needed to consider how we perceive things—in other words, our interpretations.

Why am I writing this book? Allow me to share the essay where I wrote about my purpose.

The catalyst that made me intensely conscious of the word "interpretation" was a quote from the philosopher Nietzsche.

——Nietzsche
 
How many times during the pandemic
did I chew on these words?
And I asked myself.
 
The harsh reality staring me in the face.
Isn't this a fact?
 
Things that made me frustrated, things that made me suffer, things that made me ache.
I looked down, wondering why it had to be this way.
When I looked at social media on my phone,
an overwhelming flood of information came at me.
Scrolling endlessly, I suddenly felt empty.
 
They say this is an age without right answers.
But I found myself almost swallowed up by
someone else's supposed right answer.
 
What eased the knot in my chest
was an online lecture.
During those stay-at-home days,
as a copywriter
I spoke from home at numerous lectures,
addressing participants across the country.

What I conveyed was a way of seeing and understanding things.
Thinking, discovering, putting it into words, and sharing.
That is the very approach to creating advertising.
With passion, as if I were in the classroom, transcending distance.
Then, beyond my imagination, it was received.

"I feel relieved."
"My heart suddenly felt lighter."
"The weight lifted off my shoulders—I felt saved."
 
My heart swelled with gratitude at these words,
and I belatedly realized.
What I'd been doing was precisely
what Nietzsche called "interpretation."
 
Wasn't it me who arbitrarily decided
that continuing like this was impossible?
You don't have to be swayed by someone else's words.
You don't have to swallow someone else's "right answer" whole.

How do we perceive the reality before us?
That is something I, you,
can decide.
 
Don't arbitrarily give up on yourself.
Don't arbitrarily define yourself.
Don't arbitrarily underestimate yourself.

That vague sense of stagnation in your heart might just be a lack of interpretation.
Try interpreting things proactively.
Even the wall standing before you might have a window with a great view.

 
It's okay to be exactly who you are right now.
You don't have to force yourself to change.
Because instead, the times will change for you.
When your heart feels restless, that's when interpretation comes into play.
Change your interpretation, and possibilities will come into view.
They'll carry us toward something better.
 
The past you wish to reclaim, the future you long to reach,
By interpreting them with your present as the center,
You can pull closer days that bring satisfaction.
You can affirm yourself that now is the best.
Yes, everything depends on interpretation.
 
I answer Nietzsche thus:

Interpretation is the wings that affirm yourself.
Unbound by someone else's right answer,
Gently embracing anxieties and worries,
Living authentically, bit by bit.
Past regrets and future anxieties,
Can be transformed into your own right answers.

I want to spread wings of freedom to as many people as possible.
I want to practice flapping those wings together with you.
 
This is my mission.
That's precisely why
I want to give you an "invitation."

The "Introduction" can also be interpreted as an "invitation."

The book is structured with chapters as follows:

■ The "Invitation" Called "Introduction"

■ Chapter 1: Self - Encountering the Self You Don't Know

■ Chapter 2: The Present - Now is the Time for Active Passivity

■ Chapter 3: Past - "Looking Back Now" Is a Magical Phrase

■ Chapter 4: The Future - People Can Move Forward by Interpreting

■ "The End" as "The Beginning"

The introduction to a book is called the "Beginning." You can interpret that text as an "invitation" and use it to kick things off. I hope this new series, starting now, can also become an invitation to live alongside interpretation.

Starting next time, I'll write while incorporating specific examples of interpretation.

After the book was published, something truly moving happened. I received a comment from Shigesato Itoi, the creator of the "Hobonichi Itoi Newspaper."

A book that feels like having daily conversations in the same room,
A book that engages with most people.

I would be truly delighted if this series, and my book 'That Might Just Be Your Own Assumption? Practicing "Interpretation" Unbound by Someone Else's Answers', could offer companionship in these turbulent times. I look forward to your continued support.