Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pest1]

Recently there has been a lot of discussion on positivity/negativity in people's attitudes about living in Korea. It was said also that people become more cynical after living in Korea for some time. However on the other hand there are some who are truly happy and think it is the best thing that has ever happend to them. I wonder then what is the percentage of people who are truly happy here and what are your levels of happiness. Oops I forgot the last option "I absolutely hate it and am thinking of a midnight run."

[kermo]

I marked the second choice, but what I would have like to choose was

"I absolutely love this place, but I'm not staying forever."

This is perfect for my current stage in life (single, childless) but one of these days the biological clock will start to tick down, and I'll look for a more suitable nesting ground.

[SPINOZA]

mY answer would be "love it here, could stay forever, but probably won't".

[crazylemongirl]

Out of here Febuary 28th, 2007.

[Real Reality]

69.1 Percent of Poll Respondents Unsatisfied with Life
Those replying "We live without a hope" with regard to the country's recent politics, economy and social affairs accounted for 69.1 percent in a poll conducted by the Korea Gallop at the request of the Chosun Ilbo.
by Hong Yung-lim, Chosun Ilbo (August 8, 2004)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200408/200408080035.html

Foreign residents voice gripes at Seoul meeting
by Wohn Dong-hee, JoongAng Daily (November 04, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200511/03/200511032216564409900090409041.html

Koreans Look Outward to Seek Better Life: Increasing Number of Technicians, Other Professionals Join Emigration Tide
By Chung Ah-young, Korea Times (October 27, 2004)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/special/200410/kt2004102718575545250.htm

Elderly Suicide Rate Snowballs in Korea
by Special Reporting Team, JoongAng Daily (May 18, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200505/17/200505172238128739900092309231.html

[peppermint]

contented, but it's got nothing to do with geographic location

[eamo]

[Privateer]

Contented and most likely staying forever.

[itaewonguy]

[pest1]

To me to say that you "absolutely love a place" but still want to leave one day is like saying "I really love you but I'm marrying someone else".

Now that is not the same as saying "I absolutely love chocolate but I will eat eat oranges" You can eat oranges without giving up eating chocolate. But to leave a place you "absolutely love" is to give up that place, a place that is the most important for you among all other places.

But if you are the kind of person who goes around saying "I absolutely love everything I see" then I guess I have to ask what does "absolutely love" really mean to you? Maybe I am a pessimistic person and my emotions are never really strong. So when someone says that they like Korea is it possible they are just the kind of person who just likes every country they have been to. They never dislike anything because they are just always positive. So the only way to differentiate for them is to say "I like A and I like B but I like A better than B"; instead of saying "I like A but I don't like B."

[VanIslander]

Yes, I like it very much and I WILL live in a different place one day.

(Most of us are in Korea for a limited period of our lives, and so when we say we "love" it here, "absolutely" simply means without reservation, no "but"s; it doesn't mean we can't love some other place as well. All places are not equal in one's estimation, some (more than one) are better than others. My life here on Geoje Island is pretty good, and enjoyable. I like it very much, but by no means does that mean this is the one and only place for one's whole life.)

[Homer]

My option would have been:

Happy here, no plans to move, but might do so in the future.


Since that one is not up...I chose the second option


I have a good life here and we (my wife and I) are buidling a nice future for our family. Neither of us is closed to the idea of moving but we will do so if it means an clear improvement not just to change a buck for 4 quarters.

Now, I don't "absolutely" love Korea. It has its positive elements and its negative ones (funny how that works). The fact is that the negatives here are far outweighed by the positives (in my case anyway). I have gripes with certain things here but much like anywhere else I have lived, I don't let my life be drowned under those gripes. I don't ignore them (no Ostrich here!) but rather I put them in their proper perspective or at least try to.

Ok...this was too long and I now wait for the "oh look...an aplogist" standard response....

[VanIslander]

If one believes that no place is perfect, that every place has pluses and minuses, then one's unreserved enjoyment of one's years somewhere isn't diminished by the minuses.

Everything in perspective: make the best of one's situation.

I couldn't fully appreciate Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Nor the year I lived in Toronto. But I could Winnipeg, Vancouver, Montreal,... and Geoje Island.

Happiness is not so much a matter of country as of one's situation, housing, neighbourhood, friends, lifestyle, etc.

[HapKi]

I believe personalities and general outlook on life are fairly set by the mid-twenties or so. Except for life changing events such as a near death experience, death of a loved one, and winning the lottery (I could probably argue that one), we are who we are and not much is going to change our view of the world.

People are about as happy as they set their minds to be.

[weatherman]