People Competing in a Hamster Wheel

“In our country,” Alice said, still catching her breath a little, “if you run very fast for a long time, like we’ve just done, you generally end up somewhere else.”“What a slow sort of country!” said the Queen. “Here, you see, it takes all the running you can do just to stay in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” If you slow down for e..

Seek Comfort from Those You Don’t Know

When was the most difficult time in your life? Whether it was due to personal relationships, financial struggles, or feeling overwhelmed by your own limitations, have you ever fallen into despair? Who extended a hand to help you when you were suffering for various reasons? Most often, the people who helped you were likely friends or family. Whether they offered direct assistance, provided comfor..

When Jeff Bezos first founded Amazon in 1994, no one expected an online bookstore to succeed. Many criticized the idea of an internet shopping mall, calling it unrealistic. Similarly, when Elon Musk started the electric car company Tesla and the space exploration company SpaceX, people dismissed his ventures as fantasies straight out of science fiction and criticized him as an out-of-touch dream..

The holidays I remember differ from when I was a child, after becoming an adult, and now that I have my own family. In elementary school, I didn’t have many relatives, but I enjoyed spending time together with the ones we did meet. Although traveling back and forth was tough because of my severe motion sickness, I liked eating together and chatting once we arrived.  But at some point, our gather..

The reason I started writing was to clear my mind. Everyone goes through tough and exhausting times, and while they say that God only gives us struggles we can handle, there are moments when hardships and pain come all at once, leaving us unable to think clearly. When external circumstances left me powerless to change anything, the only thing I could do was empty my mind. Like cleaning a house t..

When life slaps you hard across the face and the pain feels unbearable, don't cry. If you cry, life—the one that slapped you—will think you’ve surrendered, and it will look down on you even more. When life slaps you, don’t force a smile and pretend like nothing happened. Your face might be smiling, but your heart will be crushed, leaving you feeling even more miserable. When life slaps you, gent..

To myself 10 years ago:“Put your health before work and spend more time with your family.” To myself 20 years ago:“Your life won’t be as bad as you think! Try to see the world more positively.” To myself 30 years ago:“What you dream and think is right. Don’t worry about what others think and live according to your own beliefs.”  The words I would say to my past self are, in some ways, reflection..

In the early 2000s, the median age in Korea was in the early 30s. I was in my late 20s back then, so I was part of the most dynamic age group in the country. The nation was filled with youth and energy, and the excitement of the World Cup was a perfect reflection of that vibrant spirit.Now, 20 years later, in 2024, the median age in Korea is about 45. As someone in my late 40s, I’m still conside..

Humans are inherently selfish. In fact, all living things are fundamentally selfish because it gives them a survival advantage. So, I have no complaints about people being selfish. However, humans are also social creatures. We don't live alone, and sometimes we must endure some discomfort for the sake of others. This is why we have intelligence—to occasionally suppress our selfish instincts and ..

I had a brief opportunity to chat with some teenagers, and they asked me, "Do you want to be young again?" "Yes, no, um... I’m not sure." I kept changing my answer and, in the end, I couldn't give a definitive response. My initial "yes" came out without a second thought."Everyone wants to be young again, right? Isn’t it only natural to want that?" The second "no" was a contradiction to my first ..