A Coeds Tears
By Kim Jin-hyun
In 2002, I had the chance to attend a language training program sponsored by the South Jeolla Province Educational Office, which took place for a month in Auckland, New Zealand. On weekends, I would use my free time to travel around the country.
One Friday afternoon, I drove a rented car to a famous mountain, where I stayed at a hostel for a night. As I was falling asleep, I heard a noise coming from somewhere in the hostel, and went out to investigate.
About 15 college students from Wellington National University were having a party, singing and dancing. I introduced myself and participated in the festivity. After the group dispersed, I lingered in the hall with a few of the students, and we talked about topics ranging from religion to hobbies. At one point, I asked one of the female students, a Christian, ``Don't you have any intentions to preach Christianity to New Zealand natives?'' She replied that she not have any interest in the matter.
When I asked her explain, I didn't get much more than cold response. As a way to rekindle the dialogue, I explained that I had been reading a book on Taoism, hoping its message would help me live more harmoniously with my wife. ``Jesus' message is so deep and wide that I can't fully comprehend what he said,'' I told the woman. ``But by reading a book about Taoism and being open-minded with my wife, I've started to understand his message.''
As she listened to my story, her eyes began to well. I didn't know what her tears meant, but I hoped that I had somehow motivated her to change her worldview, which had accumulated with prejudice.
Don't all of us have some distorted dogma that we should have already cleared away? For example, in my childhood, I rarely rejected, confronted or defied the opinion of my parents, teachers or seniors. Sometimes when my brothers or peers did so, they were seriously chastised. So I obeyed blindly and always received praise for my behavior. I brought the same attitude to my adulthood. But I didn't realize that the attitude was symbolic of pretence, reckless order, ``we-ism'' and prejudice.
Currently, students' attitudes are almost identical to those of my generation, and it is aggravating. As soon as they enter school, they are enrolled in a hagwon regardless of their will, and become test-taking machines to satisfy their parents with high marks. In the meantime, the spontaneity, creativity, and challenges of the children are easily neglected, and the power of their values and judgment is buried. Instead, the parents control the children.
In school, they are completely controlled by the teachers, who prod them to get higher scores. The students' identity, self-control, and uniqueness are hidden away. In fact, obeying and imitating teachers or other students is a custom.
It doesn't help that most media outlets are sycophants to parents, schools, and educational administrations. So after such tailored students reach adulthood, what become of their lives?
When I met the student in New Zealand, it struck me that her life had been derailed because she wasn't following her own insight, but rather depended on her culture and national ideology. But communing with me, a person with a different culture and worldview, she came to realize that her judgment was irrational and tried to accept my opinion with her tears.
If the same situation were to occur in Korea, would we treat the foreigner sensibly? Would our citizens understand and accept the different culture with open-mindedness? The 21st century is a global age that requires us to overcome culture shock, accept multiculturalism and live together as neighbors.
Instead of boycotting and criticizing their attitudes and cultures irrationally, how about checking our own distorted lifestyle to better understanding who we are?
For example, Korean parents' educational viewpoints are void of basic values (etiquette, personality and philosophy) and their egoistic attitudes poisonous to their children. Students' extreme dependence on parents, easy-going lifestyle, materialism, and impersonality cause them to lose their uniqueness and independence. Our society is encouraging them to spread and deepen this void.
We have lived busily without understanding what we are. Isn't there an alternative that would helps us overcome our educational and social matters and also suggesting a vision for the future?
I ask you to listen to the message of psychiatrist and author Scott Peck. He classifies human spiritual growth into four stages in his book ``The Road Less Traveled.''
Stage Three of this process is predicated on being scientific-minded and truth-seekers. This means that as a member of a family, a school, or a society we should realize who we are and what we are. We should criticize, analyze, and accept all matters we face objectivity instead of accepting them unconditionally. By having such an attitude, the social, ethical, and educational criteria of value will be rooted in our lives.
Then our surroundings can be changed, matured, awakened, and self-realized step by step.
The writer is an English teacher at Yeosu Girls High School in South Jeolla Province.He can be reached at shinykim60@hanmail.net.