Japan’s career bureaucrats are known worldwide for their excellence. Part of the force that has propelled Japan, a resource-poor country, to such economic power is likely due to the abilities of Japanese bureaucrats. Meanwhile, looking around the world, there are also theories pointing out the negative aspects of bureaucrats. British political scientist Parkinson discovered some interesting characteristics regarding the way bureaucrats use their time and budgets. He said that bureaucrats tend to use the fullest amount of available budgets. Furthermore, when given a certain amount of time to complete a task, they tend to use that time to the fullest. He said that bureaucrats tend to postpone decisions and try to maintain the status quo. Unfortunately, this tendency appears to be emerging among Japanese bureaucrats as well.
Interestingly, the opposite behavior to that of bureaucrats is observed in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). People with ADHD tend to be restless and curious, acting impulsively. Meanwhile, recent theories have suggested that ADHD may be a survival advantage. Rather than being a problem that needs to be corrected, this problem may actually be an advantage in certain situations. From a civilizational perspective, these situations are hunter-gatherer and agricultural societies. In hunter-gatherer societies, individuals have the ability to change their behavior when something unusual occurs. This flexibility allowed them to increase their hunting success rate and prepare for predators. Meanwhile, in agricultural societies, individuals were encouraged to regularly perform agricultural tasks set by the upper echelons of society. This was the beginning of bureaucracy.
Looking closely at human history, we can see examples of exceptional individuals who have disrupted traditional, bureaucratic, and passive habits and reformed society. These individuals are those with a tendency toward novelty-seeking. In some ways, novelty-seeking was an advantageous trait for survival in pre-agricultural hunter-gatherer societies. Modern individuals who exhibit novelty-seeking behavior are often found in those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In stable societies, individuals with ADHD often accept negative evaluations. However, their behavior can sometimes captivate others and lead to the discovery of simple solutions to problems. Good ideas and concepts always have a clarity that captivates people. Rather than wasting money and time as seen in Parkinson’s Law, there are simple and easy-to-understand systems for investing the necessary funds that they are needed.
One scholar argues that there has been a continuing conflict between the tendency to seek out new things and the tendency to procrastinate. Combining the two may create a new phase. Japan is home to talented bureaucrats who have enhanced economic value. Talented individuals with ADHD include Shigeo Nagashima, Michael Phelps, Will Smith, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, and Sakana-kun. If individuals with ADHD team up with talented bureaucrats, leveraging their strengths, the potential for a prosperous society will emerge. Simply put, innovation is “something new that creates economic value.” The two key elements of innovation are “economic value” and “newness.” Combining the ideas of bureaucrats and those with ADHD may contribute to Japan’s development.
