"The salary phenomenon has a way of institutionalizing people. During Japan's decade-and-a-half economic downturn, I have read numerous stories of "salarymen" or men who have been laid off but are too ashamed to tell their friends and families.

These men get up early every morning, put on a suit and tie, grab their briefcases and leave the house. They walk around Tokyo's business district trying to look as if they have a place to go, but instead of an office, they usually spend their days in a library, a museum or some other public place.

After their day is done, they commute home.

This is about as sad as sad gets. Unless someone is paying these people a salary, they don't know what to do with themselves. So ingrained is the idea of submitting themselves to a benefactor that they get out of bed and go through all the motions of subjecting themselves to a benefactor even when they don't have a benefactor.