What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Brinne]

You can believe whatever you want. But the fact remains that it's true. A lot of cultural values and mores are hard-coded subconsciously into the way people think and behave because those people have long accepted it as normal. Its not a good or bad thing -- it's just how people operate.

Yes, this is something I can't fundamentally agree with when applied to specific concepts like the writing choices in a single story, or specific individuals like Naoki Yoshida, Banri Oda, or Michael-Christopher Koji Fox. I'm not Japanese, but I can say, for what it's worth, I'm in a position in society where I'm very familiar with dehumanizing techniques and rhetoric. I'm not saying you're doing this (for the millionth time), but is it that difficult to understand why seeing someone ascribe individual choices to "it's because they're a part of this very broad cultural group" would make me uneasy?

Also, in regarlds to the argument that saying "Bless you" is unrelated to this "fundamental human condition" that you put in italics, let me ask you a question: do you know WHY people say "Bless you" after a sneeze? They thought that sneezing either A) causes someone's soul to escape their body, B) let an evil spirit into their body or C) both. So yeah, "a couple of traditional words" like "Bless you" is still directly related to this fundamental philosophical standpoint of the human condition. Its origin is directly tied into the western view of souls.

Yes. That is the origin of the phrase. There's a lot of absolutely wild stuff you can dig up in etymology and the history of language, that has nothing to do anymore with the associations they have in the present or how most people use them. The vast majority of people do not say "bless you" because Christian morality and values is "hard-coded into their subconscious." That language can evolve in absolutely wild ways and trying to take a prescriptive stance on it being a fool's errand is Linguistics 101. People say "bless you" because it's seen as a polite and courteous gesture. Come on now.

Besides that, I have diligently studied Japanese society, religion and culture for over 20 years. In addition to the numerous books, courses and first-hand discussions with Japanese people I have on my own, I could provide internet sources for most of the things I've claimed in any of these topics, although it would take me a while to dig them up.

I mean, okay. If you're not interested in apologies or trying to be understanding: in other words, your answer is no. You've done some research, read books and talked to some Japanese people. That's very cool. But you're not Japanese, and I'll be completely honest: it's a little weird to then take it upon yourself to speak very authoritatively on the "hard-coded subconscious" influences upon a very small group of individuals, working on an individual creative project.