Herbivorous paradise

I've written a research paper. It is only a 2-page proceeding of an international symposium but perhaps will be the last one in my life.
For the first time in probably a couple of years, I called my friend to Swiss office who had discussed my idea and given me some precious advice. I asked him if he would mind if I put his name in the paper as a coauthor .
"Why not?" He said. "I'd be honored but I am afraid I did nothing to deserve it."
He is in his mid-forties and always this humble to the point he was almost Japanese.
In the catch-up conversation I learned he himself was writing a thesis. He now takes up the master course of management engineering of all others and is about to submit the thesis for the master's degree.
If I remember correctly his first major was computer science. Management Engineering... It's not a pure science. He has sacrificed all his vacation and weekends for schooling to finish the course of the field quite unfamiliar to him. Of course his family, wife and boy, complained about his lack of such family duties as taking them on a family trip or the roles in Easter or Christmas events which he was expected to play as father. I don't think he likes the management stuff but he felt he must study it for his carrier-up. Supporting family is no child's game. You have to do what you don't like if needed.
There was something refreshing in his talk. We used to be like that. Do what you must do before complaining about thousands of trifles. 四の五のいわずにまずやることをちゃんとやれ。This is what I was often told when I started to work with the research center of an electronics company.
We have come a long way to turn this country into a lukewarm paradise where majority of "herbivorous young animals" live.