In Japan, a phenomenon called hikikomori has become famous. Half a million of adolescents and young adults withdraw into their own homes and become modern-day hermits. Social isolation and online addiction are two common traits. These young people are often compared to autistic people (to whom they are related in their neurotribe). What makes those young people become recluse? It seems an enigma to science, but it isn’t that hard to guess - ever-increasing pressure to high achievement, starting in preschool.
Often hikikomori start out as school refusers. Hunter-gatherer types (explanation here) do not take kindly to coercive education, it kills their intrinsic motivation to learn. Tragically, the once so innovative Japan has managed to kill off its creative potential with as school system that was meant to produce more and more creative minds. All it produces now are duty- performers. Hunter-gatherer minds can’t blossom under such circumstances. They have highly sensitive minds with a higher stress response than farmer minds. Stress is toxic to such minds and kills all the inherent creativity. Japan, you have got to change your attitude towards education in order to become an innovative country again!
This is what high pressure to succeed, perform and be social can do to hunter-gatherer children. This phenomenon is so common in Japan because Japan places such a high value on conformity, obedience and rote learning (constant focus). Hunter-gatherer children are the opposite: they are egalitarian, hate hierarchy and authority and they fear being assessed all the time. They value independent learning and playful learning and they struggle with rote learning (constant focus) whereas the excel when they are passionate (hyperfocus).
However, the problem of kids who refuse to go to school is also rising in the western world. Years ago, I was surprised to learn that the son of one of my female teacher colleagues refused to go to school due to extreme anxiety. At the time I considered it a bit embarrassing that such a thing would happen to a teacher out of all people. However, in retrospect, I find it little surprising - her son is also an introverted intuitive. Fortunately, he did finish high school, after all.
Test anxiety, social anxiety, frustration and depression are all phenomena that are increasing and that can lead to drop-out and school-refusal. I do think we have to rethink our attitudes towards standardized testing and increased pressure on performance. We do not want to have a situation like in Japan, where there opting-out of school and society on a massive scale. We do not want to have a situation similar to South Korea, where parents have to fear for their suicidal teens. Although South Korea is often credited with having a great school system that consistently ranks on top of international tests like PISA, this very school system has produced one of the highest teenage suicide rates in the world.
Individual tragedy apart, this situation is also a tragedy for society. Few people are aware of the creative potential that is lost. Sir Ken Robinson has been warning about this situation for years now. Unfortunately, he is heard by other hunter-gatherer people like him, but not necessarily by the majority of (farmer) people. Universities and colleges have been complaining for years that the levels of independent and original achievement are decreasing. This is hardly surprising, considering that schools foster compliance rather than independence and filter creative individuals out of the academic system. Unfortunately, this is often also true for the universities themselves. I have had many discussions with high IQ people on Quora, who told me that they were not able to finish their studies due to the constraints and restrictions they felt there, feeling they were not valued, or worse, not welcome, as independent thinkers. Marilyn vos Savant was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records under "Highest IQ" (228, in case you are wondering) has never finished university, but she can be considered as (one of) the most intelligent people alive. If you think I am wrong about education, Ask Marilyn!
In Japan, a phenomenon called hikikomori has become famous. Half a million of adolescents and young adults withdraw into their own homes and become modern-day hermits. Social isolation and online addiction are two common traits. These young people are often compared to autistic people (to whom they are related in their neurotribe). What makes those young people become recluse? It seems an enigma to science, but it isn’t that hard to guess - ever-increasing pressure to high achievement, starting in preschool.
Often hikikomori start out as school refusers. Hunter-gatherer types (explanation here) do not take kindly to coercive education, it kills their intrinsic motivation to learn. Tragically, the once so innovative Japan has managed to kill off its creative potential with as school system that was meant to produce more and more creative minds. All it produces now are duty- performers. Hunter-gatherer minds can’t blossom under such circumstances. They have highly sensitive minds with a higher stress response than farmer minds. Stress is toxic to such minds and kills all the inherent creativity. Japan, you have got to change your attitude towards education in order to become an innovative country again!
This is what high pressure to succeed, perform and be social can do to hunter-gatherer children. This phenomenon is so common in Japan because Japan places such a high value on conformity, obedience and rote learning (constant focus). Hunter-gatherer children are the opposite: they are egalitarian, hate hierarchy and authority and they fear being assessed all the time. They value independent learning and playful learning and they struggle with rote learning (constant focus) whereas the excel when they are passionate (hyperfocus).
However, the problem of kids who refuse to go to school is also rising in the western world. Years ago, I was surprised to learn that the son of one of my female teacher colleagues refused to go to school due to extreme anxiety. At the time I considered it a bit embarrassing that such a thing would happen to a teacher out of all people. However, in retrospect, I find it little surprising - her son is also an introverted intuitive. Fortunately, he did finish high school, after all.
Test anxiety, social anxiety, frustration and depression are all phenomena that are increasing and that can lead to drop-out and school-refusal. I do think we have to rethink our attitudes towards standardized testing and increased pressure on performance. We do not want to have a situation like in Japan, where there opting-out of school and society on a massive scale. We do not want to have a situation similar to South Korea, where parents have to fear for their suicidal teens. Although South Korea is often credited with having a great school system that consistently ranks on top of international tests like PISA, this very school system has produced one of the highest teenage suicide rates in the world.
Individual tragedy apart, this situation is also a tragedy for society. Few people are aware of the creative potential that is lost. Sir Ken Robinson has been warning about this situation for years now. Unfortunately, he is heard by other hunter-gatherer people like him, but not necessarily by the majority of (farmer) people. Universities and colleges have been complaining for years that the levels of independent and original achievement are decreasing. This is hardly surprising, considering that schools foster compliance rather than independence and filter creative individuals out of the academic system. Unfortunately, this is often also true for the universities themselves. I have had many discussions with high IQ people on Quora, who told me that they were not able to finish their studies due to the constraints and restrictions they felt there, feeling they were not valued, or worse, not welcome, as independent thinkers. Marilyn vos Savant was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records under "Highest IQ" (228, in case you are wondering) has never finished university, but she can be considered as (one of) the most intelligent people alive. If you think I am wrong about education, Ask Marilyn!
I wish I would have had you as a teacher.
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