【Event Report】Evening Lounge Visiting Professor MAENO Takash
Eikei University of Hiroshima holds an "Evening Lounge" as part of its support for students' competency development and career guidance.
We were honored to have Professor MAENO Takashi, Ph.D., Graduate School of SDM, Keio University, give a lecture at the EUH Evening Lounge., February 6th, 2024.
Date & Time
Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 5:10pm – 6:50pm
Participation
EUH students, faculty, staff, and visitors from outside the university
Title
Era of well-being -What humans should do
Speaker
Ph.D. Professor, Graduate School of SDM, Keio University, Director, Wellbeing Research Center, Keio University
EUH Visiting Professor MAENO Takashi
Dr. MAENO began by explaining the definition of well-being. In Japanese, well-being does not mean "happiness". Being happy and well-being are similar, but there is a difference. Being means state of being and well means good and being in a good state of mind can be defined as well-being.
First, in the two hundred thousand year history of humanity, there have been periods of population growth and periods of stability. The agricultural and industrial revolutions brought about population growth. Today, however, Japan is at a major turning point as the population begins to stabilize due to declining birth rates and an aging population.
The "big bang of the mind" occurs when the population moves from the period of growth to the period of stationary growth. In other words, the "Big Bang of the Mind" marks the birth of art, culture, and thought as humanity enters its first cultural era. As we enter the period of change, we need to keep ourselves happy a state of mind, because so many things are happening and we feel many difficulties. So he said that well-being will be important for us in the future.
While happiness of the "Status goods" type, such as money, goods, and social position, does not last long, happiness of the "Non-status goods" type, such as health, safety, and mental happiness, lasts long. He also mentioned about four factors of happiness: "Let's try factor," "Gratitude factor," "You can do it factor," and "Be yourself factor”. He stated that data shows that positive people are more creative and productive than those who are not, and that by being positive, we can create a better world. It is up to each of you to decide whether to be positive or negative, but it is better to be well-being, he said.
Japanese people tend to be anxious. He stated that it is important to challenge ourselves and that we need to be positive if we really want to create a better world. The era of beautiful culture, art, and philosophy is coming. It is important to work together to create a better world. I would be happy if you could think about how we can incorporate well-being into our lives and products. He gave us a message saying that he believes we can create a new world through your thinking.
Since the event was held in English, many international students also attended. A student asked, "What can be done to spread well-being in Japan?" He answered, "It is important to educate people in the field of education and among companies, and it is important to connect people with people so that the circle will gradually expand, starting with those close to them." After the lecture, Dr. MAENO kindly continued to answer questions from the students.
