Chusok

Yesterday, I spent the whole day celebrating Korean thanksgiving, or Chusok. In Korean culture, I find that there is so much of a respect system compared to the western world. These past weeks, I began to make my own money from tutoring and babysitting, and was excited to save up to go shopping or go out for dinner with friends! But once I got to my grandparent’ house, they told me about how it’s Korean tradition and respect to use my first payment to buy them and my parents socks or undergarments. Not only do Koreans have to bow to their elders, wait until the eldest person at the table begins to eat before you eat, use two hands to give or receive anything to/from your elders, but you also have to use your first salary to buy them socks?!

Large family gatherings such as Chusok always remind me of how much respect all of us have towards each other. I guess it has taught me from a very young age to always be well mannered, especially around adults. I have definitely grown to believe strongly that family always comes first and therefore should be spoken to with caution and respect.

Although I don’t consider myself fully Korean, I am of Korean ethnicity. Therefore, my parents have high academic standards and always push me to strive for high-end jobs.  This has definitely sculpted my belief that education is a crucial part of being successful in life. I’m certainly not saying that it is the most important factor, however I strong agree that working hard at school is very essential in preparing for the next step in life.  I guess that to some extent, the stereotypes of being an Asian are somewhat correct. As a Canadian-Korean, however, I feel that I am more independent that the typical Korean students that rely on academies to boost their grades.

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

We were asked to bring in a sketch of what we envisioned Plato’s cave to be. Just based on the text, I was forced to create an image and atmosphere of the cave with all its elements placed in specific spots. When I got to class, I was surprised at how different everyone’s interpretations were. But we also had much of the same concept of authorization, shadows, limitations of prisoners and such.

During our group discussion, we were pushed to think from the perspectives of the prisoners. They were locked with chains so that they could only face their own shadows, therefore could not see the true reality in the causes of the shadows. Shadows were all they saw, and shadows were their reality. This reminded me of how we are all ‘prisoners’ most comfortable in our own “cave”. Everything is so familiar and comfortable, that we don’t bother to question the life outside of our norm, or in this case, the causes of the shadows. We are often afraid to go beyond our familiar zone and to experience challenges that will open our eyes to new factors of the truth.

I also think that this could be interpreted in a political sense. The puppeteers would resemble politicians who try to control the information and new that we are exposed to. What they don’t wish for the civilians to see, they will not show. And therefore we will never know that side of the truth. They have the power to manipulate us to understand the “shadows” to be something completely different from reality. An example would be of North Korea. The rest of the world knows the poor state in which North Korean civilians are. We are certain that they are in fact at the bottom of the list when it comes to economy, technology, and distribution of the money. However, the North Koreans only know about themselves. Without knowledge and perspective from the outside world, they are permanently stuck in their belief that they are the best, that they are no different from any other country. The lack of expose gives them only one choice. To think that they have it all… when in reality, they have nothing. 

Worldview Questionnaire

Men are, by nature, leaders and women are, by nature, torturing and caring. ‘Evil’ comes from within people- not from external source. Homosexuality is inherently wrong. Violence is a natural part of whom we are, regardless of how we are brought up.

These were just a few of the statements that we had to rank from 1-10 (1 being “strongly agree” and 10 being “strongly disagree”). I honestly struggled with answer some of them, just because some of the statements that I believed in contradicted with another statement that I thought to be very true. For example, I agreed that there is a God is not merely an escape from reality. I believe that He is real, and that He is the creator of all things natural. However, I disagree that homosexuality is wrong. I believe that ‘wrong’ is too much of a judgmental word, and should only be used when one is certain about something. I am not a strong supporter of gay rights, however I believe that God created everyone unique- with different interests. If he created a man to love a man, I don’t think it is anyone’s right to hold it against them and critic them in any way. Then follows the question ‘How do we know if these statements are wrong or right?”

Like the questionnaire, I truly think that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions and beliefs. We discussed about how experience plays a big role in what we know. If one has gone through the process or an event and has felt and sensed the particular moment, I think that one truly knows the truth about that event. I do believe that without experiencing something, you cannot truly know for certain. But on the other hand… what about religion? I’m still confused about spiritual beliefs.  Sure, if I had experienced a very obvious miracle from God, it could prove that there is physically a God in our lives. With only stories to tell, how can one be so certain? This is where I think I struggle the most…

What does it mean to know?

As the first day of class, I expected it to be one of those first day classes merely spent learning each other’s names, calling out your hobbies, and basically, a study hall. What I least expected was the question that was thrown at my face the minute we walked in. “What does it mean to know?” Well, what does it mean to know? The answer that came to my head was “To be certain of something with proof.” I was pretty sure that I had a clear definition of what “knowing” meant. However, Dr. Escalante Mead started questioning our responses. What about God? We can’t see him, but how do you know he’s there? This threw me off guard, because it obviously didn’t match my definition of what it means to know. Obviously, I know there is a God because I believe in it. My parents had read me passages of miracles from the Bible, and taught me about Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. But could I physically see God? Of course not. It’s just too risky to say that knowing something can be based only upon belief. It just made me think that much deeper…How much do I truly know? Is everything I know a fact? Or merely things that I hear and learn to believe that it are true when it’s actually a pure lie or fiction? We discussed how knowing is not only determined by proof or your knowledge in a specific field. Personally, I believe everyone has a different perception on what they “know”. Of course, if there were tangible proof for everything we ever know, life would be so much easier. But I realize that your background, culture, family, and even senses could affect what you claim to truly “know”.

To be totally honest, I had never thought so deeply and continuously in my life. I left the class feeling as if a bomb had exploded in my head…I just hope that throughout this year, I learn to grow and think outside the box, to ponder beyond my comfort zone in connecting with different aspects and perspective on knowledge.