Korean Values

Today we had a short lesson on six core Korean values.

Woori- we-ness; a collectivism that extends beyond the family unit to include larger social groups.
Chaemyon- social face; one's prestige, dignity, honor, and reputation.
Seoyeol- hierarchy; age, rank, gender, and status are key.
Nunchi- ability to size up the situation; the reading of another's facial expression and body language, forgoing the need for verbalization.
Keunmyun- hard work; discipline and a hard-working spirit is inculcated at school, work, and home.
Een-gan-jok- human relations; it is important to be good human beings, with compassion and generosity toward others.

I feel like some of their values, such as een-gan-jok, are fairly universal. And some, like nunchi, are not that highly regarded in my Western culture. I wish I had a stronger sense of what others are communicating, but I fear I rely on verbal communication too much.

I also wish I came from a culture that which has more emphasis on we instead of I. America is all about the individual, me me me. It's hard to completely block out that train of thought, especially if it's all you've ever known.