Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rock]

Trying to understand the Korean mindset in comparison to the Taiwanese. Koreans seem to have quite an identity crisis in contrast, even though they're extremely nationalistic. The Taiwanese, however, are not at all nationalistic but seem to have a very strong identity, almost a racial indifference.

It made me feel sorry for the Koreans all the time, even teaching them English. They seemed to bow down before me too. I have a deeper sympaythy for them, in this respect. For the Taiwanese, it's different.

You're expected to learn their culture, to learn Chinese, to some extent. All the foreigners do here. Moreover, their psyche seems to be stuck on a sense of who they are, as if they'd always existed and will, all else excluded.

I really don't know, but it's daunting. You don't have the upper-hand here as a foreigner like you do in Korea. I really can't understand the mindset, and would appreciate any imput.

If you're wondering why I don't post this on the Taiwan Forum, it's because many of them have taken upon this same mindset.

[Geckoman]

Out of all the countries in the world, do you know which country has the biggest identity crisis of them all? Canada!

Canadians have a HUGE identity crisis. They have the biggest identity crisis out of all the countries in the world. In fact, their identity crisis is so huge that the word "Canadian" should be put under the definition of "identity crisis" in textbooks. Being Canadian is a textbook example of what it means to have an identity crisis. Nobody suffers more from having an identity crisis than Canadians.

If you ever spend much time with Canadians, particularly if you have gone up and lived among them in their country, you will discover a people that have a huge identity crisis. They are wantabee Brits and will praise England ("London is the greatest city in the world," etc.). After all, they still have the Queen of England as their head-of-state (and whom still has legal power). One would think that the head-of-state of Canada would at least be a Canadian. But in reality they are just like Americans. But Canadians want to prove that they are not American and they do this by resorting to anti-Americanism. So in their attempt to prove that they are not American they bash America. But in reality Canadians are so much more similiar to Americans then they are to Brits.

So you can often tell who is a Canadian by who is bashing America. Many Canadians love to bash America. Bashing America is part of the mainstream culture in Canada. So many Canadians get brainwashed by the mainstream anti-American culture of Canada and so become full-time America bashers. It's the truth.

So Canadians are haters of America and want everyone to know that they are not American. It is this identity crisis of being a wantabee Brit and wanting to prove that they are not American that is the Canadian national character.

The Canadian mainstream culture of being anti-America is quite sad. It really is. You might find a Vietnamese guy whose brother got killed by the American military during the Vietnam War, and that guy will say: "I have no hatred toward the US or the American people." And yet you will find Canadians who never suffered a single harm from America and yet who will have such venom of hatred toward America that it boggles the mind as to why this Canadian hates America so much. I speak the truth.

[thepeel]

Does Capitan Obvious suffer an obvious crises?

[wo buxihuan hanguoren]

Americans definitely do - they're always harping on about how great Mexican food and sauerkraut is, and are utterly ashamed that they didn't make the stuff first.

[jajdude]

Geckoman, where do you meets these Canadians? I'm from Newfoundland (it is a part of the country, sort of) and have never met anyone who fits what you describe in your post, which to me looks insane. Believe it or not, most people are just living their lives, and are not focused on any other countries much. What a waste of time that would be.

Ps, I'm quite fond of the US and Canada.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I don't think Koreans have an identity problem. I think they, as a group, know exactly who they are. They do, as a group, suffer an inferiority complex where they 'need' recognition from others to validate their accomplishments.

I lived in Taiwan for a while, and I got much the same impression as the OP. There is a different feeling there. I guess it's the Chinese sense of identity that is different.

[SPINOZA]

Yes, the comparison with Canada is wrong. "Not American" comprises a large part of its identity. The same can be said of Scotland (not England), Portugal (not Spain). Koreans see themselves as a unique race, a unique country, with "not Japan" or "not China" not as central to the Korean identity as not-x is in the aforementioned. That might not be your perception, but that's their perception of themselves. The problem for Korea is that it's still very obscure, perhaps with a slightly unflattering identity to non-Koreans.

[RACETRAITOR]

Does anyone not suffer an identity crisis?

[newton kabiddles]

[nautilus]

I liked the Taiwanese. They have a general recognition of themselves as a nation among the brotherhood of nations. On equal terms. Accepting of everyone else, yet secure in their own identity.

Breath of fresh air compared to the Koreans. Koreans sense of victimhood dictates that to be a patriot, you must hate everyone else in the process.

Only reason I'm not there is because their climate and the jobs, suck.

[Rock]

[No_hite_pls]

[Geckoman]

So what do you get when you cross a wantabee Brit and an anti-American?

Answer: a Canadian!

Wantabee Brit + anti-American = Canadian

It is this identity crisis of being a wantabee Brit and wanting to prove that they are not American, by being anti-American, that is the Canadian national character.

It's true!

[cruisemonkey]

[laogaiguk]