Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-field-and-blue-sky-46160/
Introduction
I have chosen the song “Nee” from Hitomi Yaida’s first album, daiya-monde, released on October 25, 2000. In 2001, I was also listening to this album. At the time, I commuted over 90 minutes one way from Kanagawa to central Tokyo. Music helped reduce the stress of the crowded trains.
Listen on Spotify
1.
Have you ever looked up at the gentle blue sky on a spring day and thought that the drifting white clouds resembled an elephant or a loaf of bread? Even as children, we try to find commonalities between different things.
There is a method that has been used since Aristotle’s time. It involves observing nature. For example, if you see one black crow, then another black crow, and many more that are also black, you may conclude that “crows are black.” This method of reasoning is called induction.
2.
Is philosophy really useless?
3.
Induction identifies abstract patterns based on specific observations.
Deduction, on the other hand, derives specific conclusions from abstract principles.
In this essay, I will focus on induction.
4.
4-1.
Here’s what happened. I was looking for a job where I could apply my writing skills, so I joined a call center that primarily handled email correspondence. This was in 2001, when tools were not as advanced as they are in 2025. For example, the internal manuals were not designed to be updated and were largely unhelpful. The call center manager at the time told us, “Learn by looking at actual emails.”
4-2.
So, while doing my job, I reviewed all incoming inquiries, our responses, and the response histories. Over time, I realized that the company’s email responses could be categorized into “roughly 11 basic patterns and their variations.”
To respect confidentiality agreements, company secrets, and the privacy of customers and colleagues, I will keep my explanation abstract.
How did I classify the emails?
Emails have a structure similar to a sandwich: the introduction and closing frame the main content. Compared to emails, chat applications enable more concise communication, partly because they do not require formal introductions or closings.Challenges in identifying patterns and moments of discovery
Since this was an e-commerce call center, shipping errors sometimes occurred, where a package was mistakenly sent to the wrong region. Although such mistakes were statistically rare for our company, they followed a common pattern:
“An unexpected issue has occurred. We apologize. As a company, we take responsibility in the following way. Please let us know how you would like to proceed.”
This abstraction allowed for a standardized approach to apology emails.Generalization and handling exceptions
Induction makes statistical inferences based on observed cases, but exceptions always exist. A call center, by nature, handles exceptions.
For instance, if a particular type of inquiry occurs only once every three years, it doesn’t need to be explicitly categorized. Understanding the 11 core patterns allows one to derive a response even for rare cases. That’s why I consciously avoided trying to create a “perfect system.”
4-3.
One day during lunch, I shared my observations with a senior colleague who assisted with call center operations. I suggested improving the internal manual based on these findings. I was immediately encouraged to make it part of my work.
The new manual followed these principles:
Select 11 specific types of emails (e.g., thank-you messages, apologies, responses to feedback).
Use high-quality examples from frontline employees, rather than management.
Update information when better examples become available to keep the manual relevant.
Mask all customer personal information for privacy protection.
Since managers already reviewed all emails, this initiative did not increase their workload. A side benefit was that team members began to earn respect from their peers, not just through monetary compensation but through recognition of their contributions. More employees actively learned about the company’s responses and the nature of customer inquiries. This increased both motivation and the quality of work at the call center.
Key takeaways from this experience:
If the goal is simply to create a manual, it won’t be useful.
Inductive reasoning enables these kinds of improvements.
People are motivated by more than just financial rewards.
This is how I reflect on my experience.
5.
If you think, “That’s just observation,” then remember that Aristotle built his philosophy through observing nature. Sound reasoning is at the core of philosophy.
6.
Is philosophy useless?
Perhaps some people simply do not know how to make use of it.
What kind of philosophy do you like? Or, if you have a negative impression of philosophy, I’d love to hear why.
For example, if you’ve been frustrated by someone who overcomplicates things and increases your workload, that might be due to bureaucracy or losing sight of the original purpose. In such cases, it’s understandable that philosophy would seem ineffective.
We share the same sky. Is it sunny where you are? Do you see white clouds? What do they look like to you—a dandelion seed, a piece of candy?
Related Essay
My Unsung Hero: The Choices and Life of a Boy Born in 1914 (Published on Dec 30)
Read on Substack
https://open.substack.com/pub/trgrkarasutoragara/p/my-unsung-hero-the-choices-and-life
In this essay, I wrote about my maternal grandfather’s generation, a time when career options were far more limited. Although my grandfather and I lived in different eras, we share a common trait—the pursuit of what is possible within the circumstances we were given.
Appendix
[Healing] Crystal-clear streams and lush greenery in Oku-Daisen (CM Filming Location / Kitadani Stream) – Relaxing and Restorative Sounds for a Tired Mind and Body - YouTube
Watch on YouTube
Sounds of nature, such as flowing streams, are popular as “ambient sounds” for relaxation and focus. I am sharing one such recording.
Since this essay focused on inductive reasoning, I hope it helps you relax and unwind.
To learn more about me, visit my profile:
About the author (Amazon.com).
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0DL3S6CMB/about
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