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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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 Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 3:19 am Post subject: |
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| andrewchon wrote: |
Consider a country that isn't then. Switzerland for example. 'Exciting' isn't the word ususally used to describe that place. Belgium is another. Finland, Norweg, Cambodia, New Zealand, Uruguay... all very sensible countries. Nothing much happens there, either.
When returnees say: extremely superficial, vain, materialistic, money-driven etc. they are describing is 'karma'. Their life ain't that exciting anymore.  |
Are you implying that Korea is an exciting place and the others aren't? If so, can you kindly give examples as to why? |
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andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:23 am Post subject: |
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| byrddogs wrote: |
| andrewchon wrote: |
Consider a country that isn't then. Switzerland for example. 'Exciting' isn't the word ususally used to describe that place. Belgium is another. Finland, Norweg, Cambodia, New Zealand, Uruguay... all very sensible countries. Nothing much happens there, either.
When returnees say: extremely superficial, vain, materialistic, money-driven etc. they are describing is 'karma'. Their life ain't that exciting anymore. |
Are you implying that Korea is an exciting place and the others aren't? If so, can you kindly give examples as to why? |
No, I'm saying: for those who say such and such, miss having such and such problems. It's a Narcissist-Codependant relationship. |
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DosEquisXX
Joined: 04 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:44 am Post subject: |
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Thing is that Korea is a first generation nation when it comes to wealth. This is the first generation where people have a substantial amount of disposable income and many people don't know how to handle it well. Only 10 years ago, there was a line of people near my apartment getting bags of rice from some government outpost to feed their families.
People experience similar things on a much smaller scale in other countries. When a teenager gets a new car with their license, do they act modest and pretend it's nothing or do they blast music out of their custom made stereo system, put the top down and talk to everybody about how great their car is? It's something new to them that they haven't experienced before. So, they show it off.
This also applies to other Asian countries as well. When I was teaching in China, the big thing to own was the latest iPhone. Because of China's protective economy, the taxes and tariffs made it obscenely expensive. Anybody who had one immediately became popular and was the target of jealousy for being able to afford one.
The flaunting and bragging will wear off as disposable income becomes more common and people start learning how to wisely invest and handle this wealth. |
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joelove
Joined: 12 May 2011
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:49 am Post subject: |
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Of course one of the interesting things about being in an unfamiliar land is you notice so much that is different from what you are used to. It can be overwhelming at times, hence the term 'culture shock' I suppose. Obviously the language and food, and if you're from a small town and not so used to big cities, a place like Seoul can be a real shock I suppose, just seeing so many people all the time everywhere.
I wouldn't be too concerned if people seem superficial or materialistic, I mean, what can ya do about that anyway? Go around saying, hey you, stop being like that? |
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NohopeSeriously
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: The Christian Right-Wing Educational Republic of Korea
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| I suppose the only way to overcome the cultural issue of hwabyeong (a Korean style mental concern about not dealing with anger) is to become very superficial and materialistic. When I lived in Moscow for two years when I was a teen, Muscovites weren't that materialistic despite over 50 years of materialistic Communism reigning in the city. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| NohopeSeriously wrote: |
| I suppose the only way to overcome the cultural issue of hwabyeong (a Korean style mental concern about not dealing with anger) is to become very superficial and materialistic. When I lived in Moscow for two years when I was a teen, Muscovites weren't that materialistic despite over 50 years of materialistic Communism reigning in the city. |
Materialistic Communism--what the heck is that? |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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| DosEquisXX wrote: |
Thing is that Korea is a first generation nation when it comes to wealth. This is the first generation where people have a substantial amount of disposable income and many people don't know how to handle it well. Only 10 years ago, there was a line of people near my apartment getting bags of rice from some government outpost to feed their families.
People experience similar things on a much smaller scale in other countries. When a teenager gets a new car with their license, do they act modest and pretend it's nothing or do they blast music out of their custom made stereo system, put the top down and talk to everybody about how great their car is? It's something new to them that they haven't experienced before. So, they show it off.
This also applies to other Asian countries as well. When I was teaching in China, the big thing to own was the latest iPhone. Because of China's protective economy, the taxes and tariffs made it obscenely expensive. Anybody who had one immediately became popular and was the target of jealousy for being able to afford one.
The flaunting and bragging will wear off as disposable income becomes more common and people start learning how to wisely invest and handle this wealth. |
I doubt it. Status and the need to display it is not something a heirarchical culture like Korea's can grow out of the way a teenager grows out of speeding.
Don't mistake eastern culture for western. Besides, even in developed countries there's plenty of conspicuous consumerism. |
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andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 3:00 am Post subject: |
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| NohopeSeriously wrote: |
| I suppose the only way to overcome the cultural issue of hwabyeong (a Korean style mental concern about not dealing with anger) is to become very superficial and materialistic. When I lived in Moscow for two years when I was a teen, Muscovites weren't that materialistic despite over 50 years of materialistic Communism reigning in the city. |
No, asceticism is another solution for that. But give up all the worldly pleasures? How gay is that. Even Jesus the socialist wealth re-distributer didn't preach that.  |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| andrewchon wrote: |
| NohopeSeriously wrote: |
| I suppose the only way to overcome the cultural issue of hwabyeong (a Korean style mental concern about not dealing with anger) is to become very superficial and materialistic. When I lived in Moscow for two years when I was a teen, Muscovites weren't that materialistic despite over 50 years of materialistic Communism reigning in the city. |
No, asceticism is another solution for that. But give up all the worldly pleasures? How gay is that. Even Jesus the socialist wealth re-distributer didn't preach that. |
Then what was all that stuff about the rich man and heaven and the camel passing through the eye of the needle? |
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NohopeSeriously
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: The Christian Right-Wing Educational Republic of Korea
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| andrewchon wrote: |
| NohopeSeriously wrote: |
| I suppose the only way to overcome the cultural issue of hwabyeong (a Korean style mental concern about not dealing with anger) is to become very superficial and materialistic. When I lived in Moscow for two years when I was a teen, Muscovites weren't that materialistic despite over 50 years of materialistic Communism reigning in the city. |
No, asceticism is another solution for that. But give up all the worldly pleasures? How gay is that. Even Jesus the socialist wealth re-distributer didn't preach that. |
Actually, Jesus Christ believed that agape could solve most of the world's problems, arguably including materialism. This is what the current Presbyterian ministers say.
But gosh, I miss Russia. Russia seems to be a better alternative to Worst Korea nowadays. It's unfortunate that I might move to South Africa. |
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andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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| atwood wrote: |
| Then what was all that stuff about the rich man and heaven and the camel passing through the eye of the needle? |
The worldly pleasures include non-material things, too. e.g. listening to music, looking at art, ... these things are possible even if don't have any possessions. Now, that's going too far. |
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andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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| NohopeSeriously wrote: |
Actually, Jesus Christ believed that agape could solve most of the world's problems, arguably including materialism. This is what the current Presbyterian ministers say.
But gosh, I miss Russia. Russia seems to be a better alternative to Worst Korea nowadays. It's unfortunate that I might move to South Africa. |
Problem with iagape is megalomania, I believe. Do you know whether Jesus had a solution for megalomania? |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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At the risk of shutting down the thread, we already know more or less the answer to this:
https://twitter.com/kyunghyang/status/413981831541694464/photo/1
Korea is high on the list of the most materialistic countries, but wouldn't make the Olympic podium if it were a sport. |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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If it were an Olympic sport?
Surely, you jest.
The newest konglish catch-phrase would be
Nothing but gold baby.
Bling it on! |
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Hokie21
Joined: 01 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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If they didn't make the podium they'd just whine about how Russia cheated them out of a spot. |
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