No.2｜Why We Should Learn - The Essential Reason (Part 1)

This article is a translation of this article.

Most people do not like being forced to learn something they do not like. No doubt, at one time or another, you have been so fed up with the homework that you have turned your head and wondered what the point of the study was. Why should I struggle to learn?

・To survive
・To acquire skills
・To live a better life
・To get a job of your choice
・To be happy
・To not be cheated
・To avoid danger

There will be many different answers. Good grades in school will help you get into a good university and consequently a good job at a good company. These are all correct. "The more you understand the intrinsic meaning of what you need to learn," the more you will keep trying, even if you fail along the way.

In this section, I'll try to explain in turn the essential reason to learn, in the hope that it will encourage you to survive in a harsh society where there are no clear answers.

First of all, I would like to introduce this picture.

Cited from http://netgeek.biz/archives/50701

This picture succinctly expresses the essence of learning. Being Ignorant, the world may look peaceful. However, the more you learn, the more you see the ugly parts of the world, the cruel realities of the world. The righteous person continues to learn, hoping to change it, but finds that the problem is so deep-rooted that the large gap between ideal and reality depresses him. After never giving up and continuing to learn, the clues to the solution finally begin to appear.

For example, climate change is proceeding slowly, but steadily. For this inconvenient fact, some people are skeptical of global warming, and others believe that actions should not be taken at the expense of quality of our lives. Even if only Japan work hard, it is impossible to solve it, and most people give up on thinking and trying.

Unfortunately, no matter how big the problem is and how impossible it seems to solve, we should not be morally permitted to ignore. It is the duty of those who live today to leave a decent global environment for future generations. Closing your eyes will only make the problem worse.

To learn is to resist an unreasonable reality. As painful as the process may be, learning ensures that you expand the realm of your choices and decisions. Instead of accepting events as a given fate, you come to accept that it is the result of your own choice. Only then you can take responsibility for your life and live it with pride.

These are the words of Uchimura Kanzo, who explained what we can leave behind for future generations.

When we meet again, it is good that we have left something, that we have accumulated so much money for posterity this year, that we have done so much business for posterity this year, that we have written my thoughts in a journal article, but as a good thing more than that, for the sake of posterity, I helped the weak ones, I overcame so much hardship, I've improved so much dignity.... We wish to gather here again to hear such stories. Even if we have nothing to bequeath to our posterity and nothing to be remembered by future generations, we would like to leave our posterity something that will be remembered as a man who lived an virtuous life while he was alive in this world.

内村鑑三 後世への最大遺物

Uchimura Kanzo tells us that the greatest thing anyone can leave behind is not money, business, or literature, but a "virtuous life". He tells us that the way of life that he fought against hardship is the greatest legacy of encourage-ment for future generations.

Many of you are working hard day and night to survive, to support your families, or to protect your employees. However, if we continue to postpone major problems by thinking only about short-term gains and losses, we will leave a huge negative legacy to future generations. You may eventually become rich. It may be a successful business. However, can we really call it a life to be proud of?

With some effort, one can lead a materially rich life. However, a sense of spiritual richness can only be obtained by thinking about the future, continuing to learn, and acting with ambition. The essence of learning is here.

(Continued in Part 2)