In this blog post, I’ll summarize what I’ve learned and felt based on the academic efforts I made during high school, my school activities, and my experiences with compassion and giving.

When you grasp the flow, you see the big picture

I actually preferred applied subjects over memorization-based ones. That’s because, while I could memorize things faster than my classmates, I would forget them just as quickly. So, subjects that relied on memorization were always a source of stress for me. However, to properly study and understand the social studies subjects I enjoyed—especially Ethics—it was crucial to have a solid grasp of the big picture. So one day, on a whim and driven by the determination to memorize the entire Ethics curriculum, I began organizing the subject by historical period and philosopher in a sketchbook. My thinking was, “Let’s just start organizing it—then I’ll be able to memorize it.” But I couldn’t quite figure out whether I should organize it by historical period or by philosopher. Eventually, I thought, “Oh well, if I don’t know, let’s just do both,” and I spent the entire summer break focusing on organizing the material. I organized the material once by historical period and once by philosopher. I also organized it once by similar schools of thought and created a relationship chart of philosophers who influenced one another to organize it yet another time. And after organizing it four times like that, amazingly, I was able to memorize the entire ethics course. Things that I hadn’t been able to memorize no matter how hard I tried were now stuck in my mind. With a sense of pride at having memorized the entire ethics course, I was also left with a question. Why did I manage to memorize things that had eluded me despite all my previous efforts, simply by organizing the material without actually trying to memorize it? Moreover, as what I had learned during the break continued to stay with me throughout the following semester, my curiosity grew even more. As I pondered this, I eventually realized that I had been overlooking how to grasp the “overall flow.” Before memorizing anything, I needed to grasp the overall context first. Only then could the material I was memorizing form a coherent system. And thanks to the fact that I had, somewhat naively, established that system during the break, I was able to memorize the entire ethics course. Once I realized this, I was able to study more easily by memorizing more effectively.

The One Thing I Really Hated: Volunteer Work

The one thing I really hated was volunteer work. The reason was that I had received a lot of help myself. I had received many items from my church and people around me because my family was struggling financially, but I hated the idea of simply accepting those things and becoming complacent, and I also felt uncomfortable about receiving help. That’s why I didn’t want to do volunteer work. Of course, there are certainly places where volunteer work is needed, but I also believed that receiving charity could hurt one’s self-esteem, and that for young children in particular, the act of receiving charity itself could be traumatic. It could feel like begging—and that’s exactly how I felt. So, I didn’t have a very positive view of volunteer work itself. However, my perspective changed as I met wonderful people and friends while participating in volunteer activities. In particular, my perspective shifted when I started volunteering under the guidance of Ms. ○○○, who was both my homeroom teacher and my ethics teacher. I realized that there are people who simply cannot survive without volunteering or the help of others. In other words, my perspective had been narrow-minded. There were people who truly couldn’t do anything on their own, and they desperately needed help. Once I realized this, I understood that my thinking had been too limited. I also learned that there are people who are genuinely grateful for help and who truly want it. There were people who, unlike me, weren’t preoccupied with saving face; they were sincerely grateful and wanted to pass on the help they received to others. Seeing these diverse perspectives on helping others changed my view of volunteer work and made me realize that everyone thinks differently.

How to cooperate? By making a small concession myself

As I grew attached to volunteer work, I began to enjoy group life for the first time in my life. Since volunteering is a group activity, it’s important to build strong relationships with friends. And as I lived comfortably with friends who were considerate of me, I learned that the most important thing in group life is “consideration.” If everyone just says, “I want to do this,” or “I don’t want to do that—I’d rather rest,” the arguments would never end. Eventually, no one would be left to do the work, and if everyone kept putting it off, there would be no one left to get the job done. However, when we make concessions to one another, there seems to be a “power” in that compromise. Once one person makes a concession, others see it, learn from it, and follow suit. I realized this while cleaning a senior center with my friends. Although it was hard work for everyone, no one ever complained; instead, we cleaned cheerfully and took turns doing the toughest tasks. That’s when our efforts truly shone. Everyone went out of their way to help one another, and instead of putting off the hard work, they took it upon themselves to do it. As a result, we were able to finish the job faster than any other team that had come for volunteer work.

Actively Participating in Fundraising

A heartbreaking story reached our school. We heard that a friend from a lower grade—who had been laughing and chatting with us just a short while ago—had been diagnosed with leukemia. Although this friend had a history of the disease, they had been showing signs of a near-complete recovery; however, their condition suddenly worsened, and they could no longer attend school. To make matters worse, they needed further treatment, but the costs of the treatment they’d already received were astronomical, leaving them with no funds left for further care. So, someone suggested we raise money, and we all agreed. As a result, our grade managed to raise a considerable amount. Even if we weren’t in the same class, we all knew at least the student’s face or name, and everyone who heard the news felt as heartbroken as if it were their own problem and donated. However, it was obvious that the first-year students at the time, as well as the third-year seniors, didn’t know him very well and therefore showed less interest. Still, it was only by combining the efforts of the underclassmen and upperclassmen that we were able to raise an amount close to the cost of the surgery, and I actively participated in the fundraising campaign to promote the drive. Every morning and evening, I stood by the donation box, calling out a message encouraging donations. I also created posters and put them up in places where students frequently gathered, such as the cafeteria and the school store, to raise awareness of the difficult situation. Through this effort, I realized that once people learned about the situation, they would almost always donate and offer help. That’s when I understood why people are said to have compassion. Once people learned of the difficult circumstances—and especially that a student at our own school was facing such a situation—many stepped forward to help on their own initiative. As upperclassmen became aware of the situation, more and more money began to come in. One of them advised us to contact the alumni association, which allowed us to collect donations from alumni as well. In this way, people are willing to help those in need, even if the situation doesn’t directly involve them. It was an experience that restored my faith in humanity.