If You’re Functioning Normally in a Sick Society, Are You Really Okay?
The manifesto of a fast-paced, sickly developing world
We were out for coffee with a good friend, discussing numeric topics, when the conversation turned to work. "What are you doing now?" she asked me, while I was trying to think of a good answer so as not to appear "lazy" since I'm not doing anything at the moment.
Time passed and the topic of conversation changed, but I was still stuck on that question. Being a student and a writer is not enough to support myself financially. So my parents have to help me out.
On the other hand, not working has an impact on others, right? Perhaps on my family, my friends, and my self-esteem. On the image I have of myself.
It is unthinkable to be unemployed and inactive in this society. In fact, you can't do what we call "slow living" because the world moves so fast. So fast that you don't have time to enjoy a single moment of it.
Here's the thing. Let's say you work and do everything right. You have a family, a job, a place to sleep, and you don't have many debts. You are a responsible citizen and a law-abiding person, moral one. On the surface, everything is going smoothly. But is that really the case?
Without politics and party ideologies, we live in a world that wants us to produce. Ideas? Money for someone else? Services? Whatever that may be. And that's not a bad thing, because our society and community couldn't survive otherwise.
Without supply and demand, our society could not survive. Nor could its basic parts, upon which we have laid our foundations, function. For example, most of us think that humans came and will remain on Earth forever, while the reality lies somewhere in between: where its artificial structures are located.
But when is all this enough? The truth is, I don't know. Everyone sees this delicate balance between work and rest, personal and professional life, differently. That's why it wouldn't make sense to compare one situation with another.
And now we come to the crucial question: If you function in a "normal" way in a society that only cares about profit, is that a good thing? Or to put it another way, is it okay to be okay in a "sick" society?
As a psychologist, I would tell you that there is no such thing as normal and abnormal, sick and healthy, and that it is all a matter of perspective. But as George, I will tell you that it is not helpful to constantly blame our society. But neither is it beneficial to live at such a fast pace.
Running to keep up with your responsibilities, alongside your studies, your job, and a bunch of other obligations seems impossible. But think about how this is the reality for many of us.
And if anything really matters, it is the crisis of values. Not work. When approximately 1,000,000 South Koreans are unemployed, I wonder why these people do not want to, or rather, cannot work. To produce. Could it be that their values are not aligned with those of society? And if so, how is it that the rest of us work and they don't?
I don't know. I wish I did. Sometimes, it makes no sense to look for collective answers, but individual ones. Your texts should raise questions and stimulate the desire to learn, rather than simply commenting and imposing your opinion on others.
So, after many cycles, we conclude that being yourself is the most important revolution you can make in our society.
In closing, I wanted to tell you how that conversation ended. With a hug. And a goodbye. Always temporary. Because I may not have been working at the time, but that doesn't mean anything. And all those feelings of shame, guilt, and remorse eventually vanished. Because, between us, I'm already working. I am myself and a writer. And that's enough!