Instead of worrying about 10 years from now, I want to pour all my energy into developing the power to 'find things interesting.'

Hello ⛅️
Between rescheduling lessons and attending PTA meetings for the after-school program day after day,
I'm Satoyu, and both my child and I are completely exhausted.

That's why I had intended to pass on this contest by
the 'Husband of a Todai-grad mom of two'...
but...

While working on my posts this week,
I suddenly had an idea just now,
so I decided to rush to put it into shape.

I scraped together the last of my HP to
somehow get this written,
so I hope it serves as a catalyst for your own thinking.

What is the power to 'find things interesting'?

I learned the concept of 'finding things interesting' (omoshirogaru)
while reading the book
『Generator: The Generation of Learning and Activity』
co-authored by Riki Ichikawa and Takashi Iba.

In this book,
the existence of a 'Generator' is defined
as a new figure required for learning,
one that is neither a teacher nor a facilitator.

This section succinctly expresses
the 'Generator image'.

This term 'finding things interesting' does not involve objective evaluation

such as whether something is correct, good or bad, or whether it was done successfully,

but rather subjectively assigning meaning to hypotheses and discoveries
based on one's own points of interest.

It doesn't mean pretending to be interested to suit others,
but rather finding interesting parts in anything,
pondering how to make things more interesting,
and reaching a state where you can't stop rejoicing,
'Aha! I found it!'

Although it may deviate slightly from the book's definition,
I will interpret in my own way the power that will become even more necessary
while aligning it with the content of the articles I posted this week.

The power to 'find things interesting' as I define it

① Being able to pursue what you truly like and want to do

For a long time,
I didn't know what I
truly liked.

I tried following trends to fit in with those around me,
or tried my hand at things that I thought
would make people think, 'Wow, you can do that?'

But in the end,
things chosen by other people's standards don't last.

The first step to "finding things interesting" is
letting go of other people's yardsticks.

"I want to do this!"
If you have that clearly defined,

you'll be surrounded by excitement every day,
and your self-esteem will skyrocket.

How do you achieve that goal?
The perspective of (So what?) becomes clear,

and if you notice what's missing there,
you will inevitably ask others for help.
Relationships connected by "things you love"
will grow with every activity.

Doesn't a situation like this
sound absolutely amazing just thinking about it?

2. Enjoying the "hardship" itself

I'm basically an efficiency freak, but I pride myself on being the type
who can only handle the work right in front of me
and is poor at managing things.

But, looking at it from the other side,

isn't it a strength that I can adapt to any situation to some extent
and that I don't mind continuing to do it, however clumsily?

I sometimes think that.

In the first place, to accomplish something,
you need plain, gritty perseverance.

"Finding things interesting" includes
enjoying the process itself
while going back and forth on a path with no right answer
.

Isn't this an area where children,
who have had their education paid for and are used to
having paths and answers provided from the start,
are overwhelmingly weak?

Rather than not knowing the right answer and spinning your wheels searching online,
or obsessing over how-tos
while neglecting the essential substance,

it's better to shift to: "What can I do if I make the most of what I have now?"
(Self-reminder included)

If you can be satisfied with the status quo,
in any situation,
you can think, "Well, this is interesting in its own way."

Wouldn't that be the strongest weapon
to keep from breaking
even amidst unpredictable changes
10 years from now?

3. Being able to use your imagination regarding the other person's situation

People who criticize others by saying things like
“I’m having such a hard time too”
or “You should be doing at least that much,”
as seen in the “one-person parenting” controversy,

are evaluating others based on their own standards,
so they cannot take into account
the other person's personality or the situation they are in.

Especially if you have succeeded by working recklessly hard,
by dismissing things with the “theory of the strong”
that “anything can be achieved through effort,”

“meritocracy” and “self-responsibility theory”
will only accelerate.

In the first place, in this world,
not everyone starts from the same place.

Furthermore,
all sorts of factors, such as a person's natural qualities and habits of thought,
are complexly intertwined
to lead to their statements and actions.

It might be misleading to say “find the other person's situation interesting,”
but by letting go of comparison and evaluation,

and trying to peek into the other person's world,
you can learn new ways of thinking
that you wouldn't have come up with yourself.

If you have this attitude,
you can acknowledge with anyone that “we’re both having a hard time,”
and ideas like one-upping others or online pile-ons won't arise.

And from that diversity,
new discoveries might continue to be born.

A forecast for 10 years from now...?

Among the evaluation criteria for the contest,
there is an item that asks “what kind of future do you think it will be in 10 years,”
but to be honest,

“Isn't there no point in thinking about that?”

That is my honest feeling. Haha

After all, can we, as ordinary people,
dramatically change the world?

Isn't it more realistic to acquire the ability
to surf well
no matter what rough waves come our way?

Even if AI and DX advance
and we end up one step away from the world of The Matrix,

or if resources run short,
or internet addiction and health issues are exposed,
and we end up returning to conventional methods,

or however the risks of war, climate change, and food problems
worsen or improve,

I want to aim for a state where I can 'find the situation interesting'
and choose what feels most comfortable to me.

That is the state I want to aim for.

What I can do now for that

when I think about it,

the aforementioned
'generator' perspective is definitely important.

First, try practicing finding things interesting yourself.

Try turning the morning rush into a 'time attack!'
and race your kids to see who is faster,
or provide live commentary like,
'So-and-so is struggling to put on their socks,'

If you think about how to gamify a 'busy' situation,
maybe it will become fun to think of a strategy?

For unexpected behavior from children,
try going along with it by saying 'Oh, so that's how it is!'
and try to imagine how they are feeling right now,
perhaps by blankly mimicking their posture.

It can be something small.

It's not about comparing yourself to others,
but about enjoying the discoveries that arise in the moment.

This applies not only to parenting,
but also to relationships between adults.

When someone at work makes an unexpected proposal,
instead of rejecting it by saying 'that's impossible,'
try considering it from outside the existing framework,
thinking, 'I see, that might be an option too.'

When you hear about the practices or complaints of other families,
instead of judging them by saying 'that's soft' or 'you're just lucky,'
try reflecting by saying,
'Huh, that's one way of thinking. I wonder how it is for my family?'

In addition, pursue the things you are passionate about.

It could be cooking or cleaning.
It could be supporting your favorite idol or character.
Even if it's just being dedicated to your work, if you truly love it, that's great.

In my case, I find comparing learning methods and materials
more exciting than English itself,
so I've become an English 'learning' geek.

If everyone's interests become specialized in this way,
it becomes a world where everyone is different and everyone is interesting.

Each person finds things interesting in their own way,
and we enjoy how others find things interesting.

In that chain of events, while moving forward with a purpose,
ideas that would never have emerged otherwise
might start popping up everywhere.

If more adults with that mindset increase,
children who grow up watching them
will naturally be able to acquire the power
to find their own 'interesting' things, won't they?

The prevalence of 'correct-answer-ism' due to spending on education.
The rise of time-performance and cost-performance obsession that relies on how-tos.

Generations raised with these values
will continue to enter society in increasing numbers.

That is precisely why, if everyone can possess the power to 'find things interesting,'
which seems to go against that trend,
things might become much healthier and happier.

I hope to include that kind of message
in my future posts as well.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments👇️

Don't forget to like and follow too!