「京大医学部４名合格講師」による受験対策講座（１０２）
No one in the world is so unintelligent as a single Japanese, and no one so bright as two. (ジョン・ガンサー）
この人はアメリカ人ジャーナリストで「アジアの内幕」（１９３９）の著者だ。日本人は一人では世界でも稀に見るバカ者だけれど、二人になると極めて賢いというのだ。これが世界基準から見た日本人の印象だろうと思う。
つまり、一人の人に意見を求めると明確に語らない。だから、バカに見えるのだけれど実は周囲の反応を気にしているだけ。二人になって他の人も自分の意見に同調すると分かったら安心して本心を語り始める。
それだけ日本の「同調圧力」は異常だということだ。こんな習慣を続けていたら、世界中からバカ者扱いをされるだけ。
何故そうなっているのか。その大きな原因は「学校」にある。この服を着ろ、この靴を履け、この髪型にしろ、この下着の色だ、この問題集を使え。世界基準で見たら、刑務所か軍隊だよね。
He is an American journalist and the author of "Inside Asia" (1939). He says that the Japanese are one of the few fools in the world, but that when two people are together, they are extremely clever. I think this is the impression of the Japanese from the world's point of view.
In other words, when one person is asked for his/her opinion, he/she does not speak clearly. Therefore, they look like idiots, but in fact, they are only concerned about the reactions of those around them. When two people are asked to share their opinions, and they realize that others agree with them, they feel at ease and begin to speak their true feelings.
That is how abnormal the "peer pressure" is in Japan. If we continue this practice, we will be treated like idiots by the rest of the world.
Why is this happening? The major cause is "schools. Wear these clothes, these shoes, this hairstyle, this underwear color, use this problem book. By world standards, it's a prison or an army.