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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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 Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| GJoeM wrote: |
Ernest Gellner goes over all these things in great detail, and he should be required reading for Korean college and uni students in my view --
Here's a good paper on him --
http://www.polisci.upenn.edu/ppec/PPEC%20People/Brendan%20O'Leary/Brendan%20O'Leary%20Publications/Journal%20Articles/Oleary_BJPS_Appraisal_Gellner.pdf
The paper on Gellner says, "Whereas tribal societies worship themselves indirectly (as spirits), agrarian societies worship their rulers directly or indirectly (in monotheistic religions), while in industrial societies the participants directly worship themselves (nationalism). Nationalism is the functional equivalent for industrial societies of the world-religions of agroliterate polities, and of the animistic cults of pre-agrarian bands, nomads and tribes."
That says a lot about modern day Koreans and Korean society. |
It also links into the primitive Korean over-emphasis on continuing bloodlines and what is basically ancestor-worship. Bowing to your parents and at your ancestors tombs.
| Brooks wrote: |
passive-aggressive people.
It is an old country with a hierarchy. So where does the foreigner fit in? |
What riles me about Koreans is that they often repay western attempts at aimless friendly banter- or even politeness- with aggression and hostility.
They view positivity as weakness, they misunderstand the most basic innocent gesture. They don't get small talk.
Maybe its because they are so calculated in everything they say and do that when someone shoots the breeze just to.. share the moment, it confuses them. |
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GJoeM
Joined: 05 Oct 2012
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:17 am Post subject: |
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I remember hearing some old sentimental crooner song with lyrics that plead "please don't take my kindness for weaknes"....
Which reminded me immediately of Korea -- Koreans seem to have a radar that sniffs out softness, and gentleness, and whilst we may intend that as creating a mood of empathy, sympathy and as a reaching out, Koreans view it as a predator would, and in the 'conflict' which they are entirely imagining and generating needlessly, the gentle one is the vanquished and they are the vanquisher.
It's sad that they should sense empathy and softness in such a fashion.
That is why Koreans have no sense of internationalism whatsoever; no inkling of sympathy for those hard done by or suffering in other countries and cultures.
Can you imagine Koreans demonstrating in large numbers or starting student support groups ( as there are on other campuses, worldwide) for Palestine, or strugglers in Yemen, or Syria, Vietnam, Cambodia or Iraq, or can you imagine them giving up valuable years of their lives to help them?
No -- because there'd be nothing in it for them.
After all -- why should they waste time feeling sorry for the weak from other nations, when they actually seem to derive delight from tormenting the weak amongst their own kith and kin? Koreans take delight in tormenting the outsiders in their own society. Why would they ever have time for others?
I don't know when, if ever this is going to change here.
Last edited by GJoeM on Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:37 am; edited 2 times in total |
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GJoeM
Joined: 05 Oct 2012
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:19 am Post subject: |
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| It also links into the primitive Korean over-emphasis on continuing bloodlines and what is basically ancestor-worship. Bowing to your parents and at your ancestors tombs. |
Gellner would most likely say that in doing so, they were worshipping themselves, and I think he'd be right. |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:39 am Post subject: |
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| GJoeM wrote: |
I don't know when, if ever this is going to change here. |
Dunno....I think the fact that the esl market is swamped- that the dynamic is entirely in their favour- has allowed Koreans to fully unleash all that inner animosity.
Virtually every day I am basically forced to fight with or shout at someone just to defend myself. It is perverse that no matter how well I do my job, I get little respect. It never used to be this bad. |
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Coltronator
Joined: 04 Dec 2013
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 6:38 am Post subject: |
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| Maybe you are just bad at your job? |
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GJoeM
Joined: 05 Oct 2012
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 6:42 am Post subject: |
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| And maybe you are trolling and spoiling for a fight? |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:03 am Post subject: |
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| Coltronator wrote: |
| Maybe you are just bad at your job? |
best save those projections for the mirror, toolonator.
Its just a general impression lately. My students have better manners than some of the adults I work with. |
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Coltronator
Joined: 04 Dec 2013
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:03 am Post subject: |
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Not trolling. Challenging. Craparrastique is generally a demeaning douche to anything and everything even slightly out of his comfort zone. So I challenge him to explain.
I could have phrased it better.
"That is understandable Chaparrastique, but possibly is it that standards in Korea are increasing and the expectations of your contribution which in the past were perceived as above average are now looked at as standard or unfortunately sub-standard?"
Better? |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:13 am Post subject: |
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| I like to bitch and complain sometimes, but Korea isn't really that bad. However, it isn't particularly good either. I find it a little puzzling when I meet Koreaboo types that say they love Korea. |
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Coltronator
Joined: 04 Dec 2013
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:23 am Post subject: |
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| cj1976 I concur. I can think of better places and worse places to live. |
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metalhead
Joined: 18 May 2010
Location: Toilet
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:40 am Post subject: |
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The bad outweighs the good in Korea.
Korea is sexist, homophobic and racist - I just assume foreigners who really love it in Korea are also sexist, homophobic and racist. Why else would they like the place so much? Surely it can't be because of the rude people, that would imply insanity on their part. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| metalhead wrote: |
The bad outweighs the good in Korea.
Korea is sexist, homophobic and racist - I just assume foreigners who really love it in Korea are also sexist, homophobic and racist. Why else would they like the place so much? Surely it can't be because of the rude people, that would imply insanity on their part. |
I guess some people never leave the honeymoon stage, or they are being wilfully ignorant. |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
| I like to bitch and complain sometimes, but Korea isn't really that bad.. |
You can make a fairly comfortable and convenient lifestyle here.
But its the relentless daily irritations that cause the anger. |
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SHGator428
Joined: 05 Sep 2014
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Chaparrastique wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
| I like to bitch and complain sometimes, but Korea isn't really that bad.. |
You can make a fairly comfortable and convenient lifestyle here.
But its the relentless daily irritations that cause the anger. |
Those things tend to sit dormant while you live in a place year in and out (at least for me they do). I recently returned to Asia from a trip home, and the things that I'd just blown off in daily life bothered me much more in the first couple of days of being back. It could be that I'm planning to make the move back home within the year after 10 years in Asia and was just looking for justification as to doing so? |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
| I find it a little puzzling when I meet Koreaboo types that say they love Korea. |
I wouldn't say I love Korea, but I like it. Most of the Koreans with whom I've interacted have been fine people that have treated me well, and the majority of the anger and complaint I see on this forum simply doesn't reflect my experience. Maybe I've just been exceptionally lucky in my interactions, I don't know. The only regular annoyance for me is traffic, I hate driving here. |
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