Substance (nakami)

Overview

Nakami (substance, literally "what's inside") refers to a person's inner self, way of thinking, character, and abilities, rather than their looks or titles. "A person with substance" is a compliment, and "has no substance" is a harsh judgment. On social media, looks and follower counts stand out, but the substance of what you post also matters for long-term support.

Question boxes are won on substance

One feature of a question box is that you can compete on substance. Your profile photo isn't shown with your answers. Your follower count isn't visible either. All there is is your writing. Is that writing fun, does it move people, does it make them think? The quality of your substance is at the center of how you're judged.

In a question box, your writing skill, thinking, and sense of humor are what get judged. Even someone who usually doesn't stand out can get noticed if their question box answers are fun.

Polishing your substance

One way to improve the substance of your question box answers is to take in more input in your daily life. Read books, watch movies, listen to all kinds of people, and make time to think on your own. With rich input, you tend to have more to draw on in your answers.

Substance doesn't build up overnight. But running a question box also helps polish your substance. You think in order to answer questions, put your opinions into words, and imagine other people's points of view.