ハーバードとドラゴンボール

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例えば，コンフォートゾーンを抜けることで人は成長する，と最初に学んだのはいつでしょうか．

先日友人に紹介されて行った中国語テーブル 1ですが，自分以外全員上級者かネイティブしかおらず，何とも厳しい時間となりました．学内の中国語テーブルではあるものの，地元の会社に勤めている中国人のおっちゃんたちが普段話せない母国語で話す機会を求めてやってくる側面もあったようで，初心者の私が気軽に練習してみようという気持ちで行ったら，手も足も口も出ませんでした．会話の内容も，発言によって最高40％でもわかれば良いところでしょうか．皆が笑っているのに何が面白いかわからず，「何かが面白いから笑うのではなく，人が笑っているから面白い」 2という哲学的な発想の転換が求められる状況でした．

この雰囲気は何だか既視感があるなあ，と思っていたのですが，状況を整理すると，アメリカの大学に入学してすぐ，アメリカ人のクラスメートと打ち解けようとしていた頃の難しさに似ていたのだと思います．18，9 歳の外国人慣れしていないアメリカ人学生も，気軽におしゃべり目的で来た中国人のおっちゃんも，およそ外国人が英語や中国語をしゃべる練習相手になろうという気など持っていません．言いたいことを言いたいスピードで話して，相手がわからなければ愛想笑いと少し困った顔をしてフェードアウトするでしょう．これは当然のことで，特に話し相手に憤りを感じているわけではないですし，おそらく世界中のほとんどの人は外国人に対してそんな感じなのだろうと思います．

しかし，この居心地の悪さから，だんだん居心地が良くなっていくプロセスが楽しいのだとも思います．英語を学ぶ過程で同様の経験があるのも理由の１つだと思いますが，おそらく最も大きな理由は，私は少年漫画を読んで育った世代だからなのだと思います．高い壁にぶつかり，最初は無力感に苛まれるものの，頭を使って工夫しながら，少しずつ修行や練習をして力をつけていく描写は，集英社の漫画中では枚挙に暇がありません．小さい頃にこう言った描写を見て育つと，自分自身も修行をして壁を乗り越えることの面白さを心から信じられるのだと思います．友人の名言「大事なことは全てジャンプが教えてくれた」というのにも一定の理があるなあと思います．ちなみに，僕はこのプロセスには，旅行で言葉の通じない知らない場所に行ったときとか，馴染みのない研究分野を学ぶときにも，類似性があると感じていて，どれも「大変だけど楽しい」プロセスだと思えています．

こういう「コンフォートゾーン（自分に居心地の良い状況）から抜け出して人は成長するのだ」みたいなことは，どこかのハーバード本に書いてあるかもしれませんが，ジャンプ世代の我々20-30代には特に新しい学びでもなさそうです．もう少し一般的な話では，ハーバードでなくても，学びの内容も「コンフォートゾーンうんぬん」以外の何でも良いのですが，例えばマッキンゼー本やスティーブ・ジョブズのスピーチからはインスピレーションが得られるけど，週刊少年ジャンプや風呂屋で隣に座った爺さんとの雑談から何も感じられないのであれば，それは人生損しているのだろうと思います．また，そうなってしまうのは，受け手の態度の変化や感受性の減衰に原因の大半があるのだとも思います．だって，我々のほとんどは，子どもの頃には出来てたことではないでしょうか．思い出してみれば，子どもの頃にジャンプを読んでアツい気持ちになって「よし，明日から毎日ジョギングしよう！」と思ったり，スラムダンクを読んでバスケを始めたり，かめはめ波を自分なら出せると思ってみたり，昔は自分の行動規範や実際の行動，自分の可能性，将来のビジョンに至るまで，多種多様なインプットから柔軟に影響を受けられたはずなのです．それにも関わらず，今日現在，マイケル・サンデルさんや大前研一さんが言ったり，TEDで話されてることにしか頷けなくなっているのなら，それこそ自分の成長の余地が小さくなっている証左かと思います．逆説的ですが，平積みされてるような自己啓発本は，それのみに安易に手を出すならば最早啓発される伸び代がほとんどないのですよ，ということを示す篩なのかもしれません．

少し余談になりますが，先日帰国した時に日本の本屋の通路の真横にハーバード本とかマッキンゼー本（便宜的にキラキラ本と呼ぶ）のセクションができて並んでるのを見て，正直なところイケてないと思いました．出版社が安易に読者をキラキラしたラベルで釣ろうとしてること，読者があさはかだと思われてそうなこと，しかし実際これらの本に訴求力がありそうなこと，複雑な気持ちです．これは昨年末の冬，名古屋駅の高島屋の上にある紀伊国屋での陳列についての感想で，もちろん全ての本屋がそうかは知りませんが，この本屋が例外的だと思う理由もありません．もちろん（詳しく読んだことはないものの）キラキラ本も有益な経験や知見が共有されていると思いますし，それを過小評価するつもりは全くありません．私を含め，読者はそこから色んな学びがあるのだと思います．一方でそんなキラキラさを特別視するんじゃなくて，もっと色々なところからインスピレーションを得られるならより良いと思います．他人の大学や会社での経験に価値を見出し，そこから学ぼうという姿勢を持てる日本人の勤勉さは素晴らしいと思いますし，ならば同じように他の何にだって価値を見出して学ぶ姿勢を持てるに違いありません．キラキラしてわかりやすくまとまった価値のパッケージはお手軽ですが，キラキラしてない混沌の中にある価値を見つけることも同様に素晴らしいことだと思います．何故なら見えづらい中に自分の感性で見つけた価値は，自分が心底信じられるものとして定着すると思うからです．また，見えづらい価値の発見を妨げるのは，自分が育った過程で積み重ねたバイアスに他なりません．偉そうに言いつつも自分自身も意識してないと「情報の発信者の立場，肩書きに関係なく，偏見なしで外部からの情報を判断する」ことに柔軟でなくなってきてるのは否めず，これはおそらく年齢や経験を重ねた弊害ですので，気をつけたいと思っています．

なんて中国語テーブルで全く理解できない会話 3に参加したところに端を発した雑感でした．次回はもっと理解できるように中国語の勉強も継続したいと思います．何故かって，ドラゴンボールの亀仙人の修行が，慣れないことに向き合い努力する大切さを僕に教えてくれたからですよ！

Notes:

  1. 中国語の学習者と，中国語の母語話者がコーヒーでも飲みながら会話をする集まり ↩
  2. これは以前どこかの留学生ブログにあった面白い表現．外国語会話の初心者の段階を簡潔かつ雄弁に表しています．笑 ↩
  3. 厳密には，私がテンポよく返せないので会話にすらなってないですが． ↩

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