In recent years, the publishing world has been all about self-improvement: pushing yourself, working out, eating healthy, exercising, making friends, and being happy.
But no matter how many books are published and read, Koreans are still not happy, not healthy, and do not practice anything they read in books. I used to read a lot of self-help books, but I recently realized how much time I wasted trying to improve my life by just circling around without touching the core of the problem.
In fact, most of the problems that Koreans face are difficult to solve on an individual level. In an environment where long working hours and overtime are prevalent, it is not easy to find the time to invest in hobbies or self-development. It is true that structural problems such as high real estate and education costs and unstable employment situations are difficult to solve through individual efforts.
They say Nordic countries are happy...?
A happy and healthy life is not achieved solely by individual effort, but is determined by the social system to which they belong. In this context, the Danish case is very suggestive. Denmark is considered the happiest country in the world, and the secret lies in the extensive social support for its citizens.
The Danish government is implementing various welfare policies that guarantee the basic living of the people, such as medical care, education, childcare, maternity leave, and unemployment benefits. It also puts a lot of effort into creating public infrastructure to increase the happiness of the people. It values work-life balance through a short workweek of 34 hours, and overwork is viewed negatively.
What is interesting is that 57% of Danes said they would not quit their current jobs even if they won the lottery. For them, who work for self-realization and happiness, work is only a part of their lives, not everything. In addition, citizens’ voluntary activities and sense of community are highly developed.
Of course, all this comes at the cost of high taxes. This is always the case in Nordic countries. But it seems worth paying taxes for the improved quality of life. It would be difficult to introduce the Danish system right away in Korean society, which has long emphasized diligence and self-sufficiency. However, isn’t it time to face the problems caused by excessive individualism and change our perception to take care of each other as a community living together?
In the end, each individual's happy life is possible with the support and consideration of the society they belong to. What we need is not a flashy success story or a self-help book that emphasizes individual effort, but a tight social safety net that guarantees everyone's well-being. As the election period approaches, various stories are coming and going, and I think we need to talk about society, so I'm writing this.
I too am a little confused about this, so I asked the AI about individualism and liberalism.
Isn't the best thing an individual can do to provide sincere support and encouragement?
Personally, I think that raising taxes to build a welfare fence is not a populism or political stance, but something to think about from a different perspective. Recently, Korea has been showing a strong individualistic tendency, although I may be the only one who feels this way. This is more indifferent to other people's business than the existing liberalism, and it has a contemplative view of society. In a way, it seems that 'Alpano' has become the basic stance.
Like it or not, we have to live within the fence called society. Whether I am a rich man with hundreds of billions of won or a human being with nothing but my body and passion, we have to live in an organically connected society. In the past, I created a 'nothing special, but praise group' with my friends. It was called a group, but it was a KakaoTalk group chat room. I ran it well, but I personally ran it for several years until I stopped running it because I didn't have enough energy. However, a friend I met recently told me about the group chat room and said it was really helpful.
In conclusion
I am thinking again about myself, thinking that what we need is not "more, more, more" but applause and cheering. Sometimes, I think we need a pat on the back rather than a big reward. Leaving aside policies and politics, if we can lean on each other, just like people, in order to become a better society, would it be too romantic to imagine a world where we can open our hearts and cheer each other on sincerely? I am suddenly thinking about it and writing down a few words.
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