Dale Carnegie Ruined This Man’s Career, And We Don't Talk About It
When books are lost in translation
Mr. Kazuo, my manager, called me at his desk. He had a “gift” for me. This was very unusual in Japan, especially in the context of business.
He handed me a package, and I could see he had ordered from Amazon.
The package wasn’t that big, so I thought it was probably a book. I ripped it open like a child opening her Christmas gift, a smile on my face and sparks in my eyes, and indeed, found a book.
I took it in my hands and read the first lines of the title of a French book:
“Comment Se Faire Des Amis." = “How to Make Friends.”
The translation in English was literally "How to Make Friends."
But my reaction wasn't what Mr. Kazuo had expected. I let the book down and burst into tears.
“How could you?” I started crying.
The subject of friendship was a sensitive one for me; I was suffering from extreme loneliness and isolation in Japan.
I had no friends, nobody to talk to and my sexual frustration was overwhelming. And now my manager was giving me a book on how to make friends? He’d crossed my boundaries.
