Ichiro Kishimi

I am beneficial
to the community
that one can have a true sense of one’s worth. This is the
answer that would be offered in Adlerian psychology.
YOUTH:
That I am beneficial to the community?

---

PHILOSOPHER:
That one can act on the community; that is to say, on other
people, and that one can feel 
I am of use to someone
. Instead of feeling
judged by another person as ‘good’, being able to feel, by way of one’s own
subjective viewpoint, that 
I can make contributions to other people
. It is at
that point that, at last, we can have a true sense of our own worth.
Everything we have been discussing about community feeling and
encouragement connects here.
YOUTH:
Hmm. I don’t know, it’s starting to get a bit confusing.
PHILOSOPHER:
We are getting to the heart of the discussion now. Please stick
with me a while longer. It is about having concern for others, building
horizontal relationships and taking the approach of encouragement. All
these things connect to the deep life awareness of ‘I am of use to someone’,
and in turn, to your courage to live.
YOUTH:
To be of use to someone. That is what my life is worth living for …
?
PHILOSOPHER:
Let’s take a little break. Would you like some coffee?
YOUTH:
Yes, please.
The discussion of community feeling had become more confusing than
ever. One must not praise. And one must not rebuke, either. All words
that are used to judge other people are words that come out of vertical
relationships, and we need to build horizontal relationships. And it is
only when one is able to feel that one is of use to someone that one can
have a true awareness of one’s worth. There was a major flaw in this