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A video produced by a famous American psychological researcher has become a hot topic regarding the mental health crisis in Korea, which shows no signs of improving, ranking first in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the number of suicides per 100,000 people.
Mark Manson, a writer and influencer who became famous after his books such as ‘The Art of Not Being Afraid’ (2016) became a New York Times bestseller, recently posted a post on his YouTube account under the title ‘I traveled to the most depressing country in the world’. Uploaded the video.
In a 24-minute, 4-second video produced during his visit to Korea, Manson said, “To understand the mental health crisis in Korea, you have to start with StarCraft, a popular video game in the 90s. What is noteworthy is that the success formula derived here is several. “It’s been replicated in the industry,” he said.
He pointed out, “For example, K-pop stars are recruited through auditions at a young age and sent to boarding schools, and the same goes for sports players. Even Samsung has a network of dormitories, transportation, and hospitals, so employees literally do not have to leave their jobs.” .
He pointed out, “Forcing people to do better at what they do well and applying strong social pressure and competition to produce the best possible results has proven to be an effective formula, but it has led to psychological fallout.”
Manson said that in order to understand the creation of an overly pressurized culture, such as competition for entrance exams that starts in kindergarten, or the perfectionist tendency of Koreans to say ‘all or nothing’, “one must understand the history of Korea, especially the conflict with North Korea,” and “20th century Korea.” “’s economic miracle was not a matter of ambition or choice, but of survival,” he analyzed.
He pointed out that South Korea, which experienced a brutal war in which 15% of the population died, had no choice but to develop as quickly as possible under the threat of North Korea, and that the harsh education system introduced by the government for this purpose placed an enormous burden on Korean youth.
In the end, the economy grew, but Manson diagnosed that “in Korea, the suicide rate of the elderly was soaring and it brought great fear to the younger generation,” and that the deep-rooted Confucian culture that forced people to sacrifice themselves for everyone also deepened “social isolation and loneliness.” .
Manson said, “Koreans are constantly evaluated by Confucian standards, but the problem is that they are also pressured to produce personal results. Unfortunately, Korea has left behind the worst parts of Confucianism and has neglected the best parts – intimacy with family and community. “It seems like it was thrown away,” he said.
He also said, “While the worst aspects of capitalism, materialism and cost of living issues, were ignored, the best aspects, self-actualization and individualism, were ignored. Personally, I believe that this combination of conflicting values may have led to tremendous stress and despair.” He added.
However, he said he was surprised that the Koreans he met, rather than hiding these problems, actively acknowledged them and sought solutions, adding, “This kind of resilience, which is rare in the world, may be Korea’s real superpower.”
He said, “When I look at Korean culture and history, I see that no matter what difficulties and challenges they face, they have always found a way. I believe that they will find their way again as they face new existential challenges.”
2024-01-28 11:15:46
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