Nagomi

When the world around us becomes more turbulent, we search for harmony and balance in the small things, within ourselves. It’s balance we need so that our own world doesn’t fall apart at the seams. In Japan, this is called “nagomi”, which refers to a holistic way of life shaped by harmony and balance.

Japanese neuroscientist Ken Mogi, who we’ve interviewed for this issue, explains how you can live a balanced life thanks to nagomi – balanced meaning that things aren’t great all of the time. Quite the opposite: in order to have balance, both extremes of an emotion or situation have to exist. To have fortune in life there must also be misfortune, for love there has to be loss, for fun there has to be work and for altruism there has to be selfishness. Zest for life, or to put it more strongly true happiness, occurs when you manage to accept all facets of life and bring them into balance. Nagomi is a way of life that shows us what makes us more resilient, what benefits us in our relationships and everyday lives.