The Imbalance in Everyday Life Created by Short-Termism—and Its Limits

The Imbalance in Everyday Life Created by Short-Termism—and Its Limits

1. Economic Imbalance Has Reshaped the Way We Live

In the previous chapter, we examined how the United States has experienced rapid growth over the past thirty years, and how this has resulted in extreme imbalances in wealth distribution and stock market valuations. This imbalance, however, is not merely a macroeconomic phenomenon. It has deeply permeated people’s lifestyles, ways of working, and everyday decision-making.

One of the cultural byproducts of the startup ecosystem that has driven the American economy—symbolized by companies such as GAFAM—is an emphasis on “delivering results in a short period of time.”
Because many startups rely on venture capital and other growth-oriented funding structures, they are inevitably pressured to pursue rapid expansion and short-term performance indicators.

As a result, among the companies that have come to represent this era, systems that define “short-term, dramatic results” as inherently positive have been widely institutionalized.

Admiration for these leading companies, and imitation of the “short-term results–oriented systems” they built, spread not only across corporations around the world—including those in Japan—but also into culture, society, and even the level of individuals’ daily lives.

2. Changes in Workplaces and Lifestyles

In the workplace, the adoption of DX tools such as CRM systems and task-management software has accelerated. Work has been finely decomposed and standardized, leading to the widespread establishment of what might be called “SaaS-style operational systems,” in which almost anyone can deliver a certain level of output.

While these systems—through detailed task management and KPI tracking—have improved efficiency and predictability and contributed to revenue growth, many scholars have pointed out their darker side. George Ritzer, in The McDonaldization of Society, among others, argues that such systems strip work of its contextual judgment, individual skill, creativity, and personality.

At the same time, everyday life has also shifted toward the pursuit of “short-term satisfaction.”
Short-form videos, matching apps, and a social climate that welcomes rapid yes-or-no decisions can all be understood as extensions of this logic.

Within such an environment, the archetypal leader figure becomes remarkably uniform:
working in consulting roles in high-rise office buildings in major cities, constantly tracking KPIs and ROI, and refining PowerPoint slides late into the night.
They prioritize urban convenience when choosing where to live, and emphasize authority and brand value in their consumption behavior.
Their thinking places “achieving short-term results” above all else, treating the ability to quickly secure a “yes” from others as the ultimate measure of success—and making this immediacy the core principle guiding their actions.

3. The Limits of Imbalance and Signs of a Backlash

The imbalances produced by short-termism appear to be approaching their limits. Even among the developments I have personally observed, several notable phenomena suggest a broader reversal is underway.

A Shift in Sales Models
In B2B sales—where short-term, decision-driven SaaS models have long delivered results—an increasing number of companies now believe that “sales representatives are unnecessary.” According to research by Gartner, one of the world’s largest IT research firms, roughly two-thirds of corporate buyers say they prefer purchasing processes that do not involve salespeople.
This can be seen as a visible backlash against short-term, formulaic inside sales and standardized customer success models.

The Narrowing of Opinions and Ideas
American legal scholar Cass Sunstein argues in Republic.com that social media encourages people to interact primarily with those who share similar views, reducing opportunities to encounter different perspectives and weakening society’s capacity to accept diversity of thought.

This tendency is also symbolized by one of the most basic functions of social platforms: the “Like” button. In The Story of the Garden, critic Tsunehiro Uno points out that platforms offer only binary responses—press or do not press—leaving no room for nuance or intermediate emotions. As a result, communities become increasingly homogenized, and society loses its range of possible answers.

An Oversupply of White-Collar Workers
The UK Office for National Statistics reports that roughly one-third of university graduates are employed in non-professional roles, with similar trends observed in long-term studies in the United States. As David Goodhart argues in Head, Hand, Heart, societies that have excessively valued cognitive and professional work continue to promote university education, even though the overall economy has already entered a phase of oversupply—where such roles are no longer broadly needed.

Factors That Outweigh Economic Success
You may have heard the claim that happiness plateaus once annual income exceeds around ¥10 million. Recent research indeed suggests that the correlation between income and subjective well-being weakens beyond a certain threshold.
Professor Takashi Maeno of Keio University explains happiness through what he calls the “four factors of well-being,” showing that non-monetary resources such as relationships and a sense of meaning lie at its core.

In practice, even among the wealthy, there is a noticeable shift away from the explosive “economic success” pursued in previous eras toward cultural experiences and spiritual fulfillment. The growing number of affluent individuals from around the world visiting Kyoto to engage with traditional culture is one clear example.

Taken together, these phenomena suggest that the bias toward short-termism has passed its peak, and that signs of a broader social correction are emerging.

4. The Next Generation of Leadership and Japanese Culture

So, who will become the leaders of the next era—and what kinds of businesses will take center stage?

The attitudes embodied by Japanese artisans stand in direct opposition to short-termism.

They do not rush to conclusions, but instead take time to refine their work.
They value coexistence rather than excluding diversity.
They speak not through words, but through their creations and ways of life.

While this does not apply to every cultural practitioner, many people engaged in Japanese cultural industries hold these values deeply.

Even during the past three decades—when the United States experienced relentless growth and powerful winds of short-termism swept across the world—there have been individuals who continued to work while preserving these principles.

Japan’s cultural capital—its sincerity, precision, and methods of coexistence—may well compensate for what contemporary society lacks, and form the foundation of a new kind of leadership.

With this belief in mind, I have engaged in ongoing dialogue with players involved in Japanese culture across the country. In the next chapter, I would like to explore the current state of Japanese culture, cultural business, and the people who sustain it.