"Mr. Nakamata, what is 'Jibun'?" Searching for the right answer is meaningless. The answer lies within yourself. (Part 2)

This is part of a special dialogue from the book adaptation of "The Classroom Connecting You and Society," titled "Why Do You All Start Talking About the Same Things When It Comes to Job Hunting?" This is the second part of a roundtable discussion featuring Hiroyuki Nakamata. Nakamata, who states, "I personally think you have to acknowledge the self that made you who you are, but living bound by that is lame," suggests that becoming altruistic might change one's perspective. ( Part 1 is here )

Escaping Selfishness Opens the Future

To enjoy job hunting

Nishii: In this class, we explore ourselves through the 3C perspective, just like in business. How do you view self-analysis in job hunting, Mr. Nakamata?

Nakamata: I don't think self-analysis focused solely on yourself matters much. If you absolutely want to be involved with cars, you should transform yourself to get into an automotive company. That means customizing or transforming who you are. It takes tremendous courage. While you must acknowledge the self that shaped you up to now, I personally think it's uncool and lame to live bound by that.

Nishii: So you're saying we should strive toward our desired future or ideal self, even if it means transforming ourselves.

 

Nakamata: People often think there are jobs you're suited for and unsuited for, but fundamentally, it's about whether you want to do it or not. Personally, I don't believe anyone is unsuited for any job. I feel recent employment theories lean too heavily on self-analysis. Looking back only at your past self is meaningless. What matters is how you want to shape your future self.

Nishii: When people broadly talk about "self-analysis" in society, its meaning is often too narrowly confined to the self as seen from one's own perspective. In the classroom, I also emphasize that it should be done from various viewpoints, such as society and peers. Since you can't use the same expression for different companies, I believe you should customize and present yourself to connect with society and companies.

Sasaki: What this book introduces is about how to connect yourself with society, and I believe there can be many possibilities and ways to connect.
I often say about job hunting, "Don't work, play." I want people to enjoy figuring out how to connect themselves to society while engaging with it.

Nakamata: Job hunting is fun, right? You get rejected where you get rejected, and accepted where you get accepted.

Escaping reflexive responses allows individuality to flourish

Sasaki: To become a better version of yourself during your student years, how do you think individuality can be nurtured?

Nakamata: I believe it's the adults' job to create an environment that ignites a child's passion. The current education system, focused on achieving balanced average scores across five subjects, doesn't suit children who are geniuses in specific subjects or those who simply can't get interested in studying. But meeting such diverse learning needs is difficult with just the current school system. Children read the room, so I feel that the wishes of parents and those around them – things like "I want them to be like the other kids" – also contribute to a loss of individuality. The children at LITALICO's learning centers aren't so much disabled as they are richly individual. They'll say "this isn't fun" if it isn't, and they don't read the room at all. But once they find their own interests and discover a learning style that fits them, they can concentrate far more intensely than other children. These unique kids often struggle to adapt to school, and their parents end up feeling ashamed that they can't do things the same way as other children.

Nishii: Being different makes them feel ashamed, leading to a loss of individuality. Is there any hint on how to remove that shame?

Nakamata: Rather than removing it, we should focus on nurturing it. While we talk about nurturing individuality, humans actually strive to standardize as much as possible. We've been raised that way, so we act on it like a reflex. First, we must escape that reflex; otherwise, children will never truly grow.

Nishii: So during job hunting, it's crucial for companies to provide a space where they can break free from the "this is how you answer here" atmosphere in interviews and truly let their individuality shine.

Nakamata: Whether someone grows or not can't be discerned unless we make the effort to meet them halfway. While job hunting often carries the concept of students and companies being on equal footing, companies still hold the stronger position in many ways. Therefore, it's crucial for companies to take the initiative and make the effort to meet students halfway.

Nishii: Thank you for the fascinating discussion today.

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