Lin Hsien-tsung points out that Japan originally made the same error. When stories of death from overwork began to circulate, in general there was sympathy, and one often heard people comment on how sad it was that someone could die so young: "He shouldn't have worked so hard!" Later on, however, people started questioning the system, rather than the individual.
林顯宗指出，日本社會早先皆認為過勞是個人的問題，一般民眾聽到過勞死，普遍出現「這麼年輕卻遇到這樣的事」、「誰叫他做事太拚命」的感嘆，多出於同情的理解。