[Ecoholn] Respecting Diverse Thoughts

People are diverse. Their thoughts are diverse too. Not everyone can be the same. Sometimes, they may be similar. Even when they are alike at times, they can also be different. The world cannot be divided and defined as easily as slicing a radish with a knife.

Never before has there been such a dichotomous division. In the 1950s, the Korean Peninsula was ultimately divided into South and North. This was due to a clash of two ideologies. And today, we are dividing ourselves into left and right.

It's possible to have different opinions. However, by imposing an identity framework of left and right, we are splitting into two, in a way that seems almost coercive. While one viewpoint may be correct in one situation and another in another, we disregard the context and facts, insisting that only moving in one direction is right.

Strangely, we grew up clinging to the question, “Do you love Mom or Dad more?” Foreigners find this question extremely awkward; they don't even ask such a question. Yet, only in our country do we ask such questions that demand a dichotomous answer. Playful questions have become cultural norms, and this culture has opened up the possibility of fostering dichotomous thinking. In some situations, Mom might be preferable, in others, Dad; fundamentally, they are both good people, but I don't understand why we have to choose.

It's truly regrettable. I wish we could look at others and the world with more flexibility and an open mind. Instead of dividing into 'my side' and 'your side,' I wish we could recover the understanding that we are all on the same side and are a community that must live together.