20160529 Essay: An important skill to be successful

21th Century. It is the period when the collaboration of various ideas exists. People all over the world are now sharing their ideas and making them come true so as to be successful, and success which most people want to achieve gives you the feeling of happiness itself. And in these circumstances is one important skill you need to know: the polite refusal. It might sound contradictory, at the point that the word ‘polite’ and ‘refuse’ make you imagine quite distinct mood of pictures. Though, there clearly is a refusal method that the counterpart gets less hurt: The proportion of the ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ remarks is the key of it. You should say 5 positive things to cite a negative thing, in order to communicate appropriately, according to the love equation suggested by doctor Gottman. So, why is the polite refusal important?

First of all, it can relieve your feelings. Many of you, especially people who want to be kind to others, hesitate to refuse other’s suggestion because you are afraid of making them annoyed. However, unconditional acceptance can rather make others feel stuffy because they always have temporal and situational burden as the counterpart should decide all the things. Also, such the acceptance can contribute to uncomfortable situations to you since none of your opinion is included. For example, when you go to a restaurant for dinner, and you don’t suggest your idea of what to eat, the counterpart will choose your dish and it might not always fit your taste. But if you do not know how to refuse the counterpart’s order, you would not be satisfied. On the contrary, the polite refusal makes the counterpart understand the precise characteristics of you, which can offer a chance to communicate with each other.

Second, it is another way of expressing consideration. Altruism does not mean following others, at all. Saying our own thoughts so that you can participate in making a community’s opinion, which can be showed as a form of refusal, is an expression that you are paying attention to others.

There is an old saying “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” We should all know the way to refuse well in social relationships to prevent unreasonable situations to happen to you. And it is now the chance to get your own beliefs.

20160626 Essay: Computer Games

Recently, IS, an Islam radicalism terror community, released a video promoting themselves. What was controversial about the video was that it compared a screen of a video game and a real IS soldier’s life, saying that “You can experience things in the game in reality.”

First of all, there can be a serious addiction to computer games. American Psychological Association concluded the game addiction was included into a kind of mental illnesses. They commented the symptoms of computer games was similar to those of gambling addictions, impulse control disorders. And this addiction appears due to the desire to be rewarded – Griffith, in his book <Online video gaming>, cited that addictions were radically based on certain rewards and reinforcement of thoughts - by something very simple for them to do in their life. Some proponents of computer games claim that there exists some policies, a shut-down policy in Korea for example, to keep people from being addicted to the games. However, one statistics conducted for adolescents about the proportion of game addict shows that there were no change after applying the policy, proving those policies have no practical effects.

Also, it can badly affect children’s mental conditions. According to a social learning theory suggested by Albert Bandura, children may observe and imitate the behavior the people around them do. And owing to this imitation mentality, children also copy the game contents they see. Since many of the computer games contain sensationalism and violence, such as some criminal incidents like murder and robbing, this kind of behavior confuse our society’s atmosphere. The most representative example of this is the Gangnam-yeok homicide case, of which the criminal committed cruel murders by the impact of violent computer games.

Lastly, computer games make people unresponsible for their job, especially for students to study less than they should. According to a statistics measured in one Korean middle school, students 20% from the bottom on performance usually appear to play game over 3 hours once they start it. Like this instance, computer games can have cons to studying students. But some people insist that there be some educational games. However, the market share of educational games is staying at low level. As a result, most computer games cannot be seen as having good aspects to studying.

In conclusion, I think computer games are not good for children on the grounds that they can have strong addictiveness, deteriorate children’s sentiments, and make children study less. Although games give us a little exciting feeling of life, we should control ourselves from falling out the world of provocative computer games.

20160807 Essay 5: INTERNET

“Knowledge is power.” Francis Bacon, the father of scientific methods of inquiry, said this, which means the more one knows, the more one will be able to control events. In this modernized world where computer remembers much information, the meaning of “knowledge” have been extended from just our brain’s memorization to what information our computer has, and the information-gathering and the information-filtering capability are being much stressed. Thus, in our life, a huge cluster of data of the past histories, known as BIG DATA and used to analyze social phenomena, is now interpreted as “power” of Bacon’s quote. For the reason, I think the Internet, the network connecting computers, provides people with a lot of valuable information, most of which has its own special meanings contributing to improving the usability of BIG DATA analytics.

First of all, that information can make the analysis much accurate. Some people might insist we are having too much information on the Internet so that it confuses the interpretation of social veins. However, the purpose of BIG DATA analytics initially is finding hidden patterns of the information. And in the process, having much information, though it seems useless, can work as an important resource of understanding this human society. For instance, social network analysis(SNA), one of the BIG DATA analytics that investigates social structures among networks, seeks influencers of the social network services who give others certain impacts through statistical tools like graphs and use them in marketings. And in this method, any information relevant to the influencer, if proper range of searching keyword is set, can be appreciated by its value making the outcome of the statistics more exact.

Second, having much information contributes to increasing the ability to regard something in diverse perspectives. There is a Korean proverb that “The more you know, the more you can see.” So having much information can expand the view on an object. Thomas Edison, for example, was able to invent a lamp since he knew about 1000 different ways that can cause failure, resulting in getting rid of the number of cases. And in the process, he could grow his own knowledge and eventually find how he can make a lamp work. Computers of 21th century, which we live in, can help us know ways to fail much easier than Edison’s era, by analyzing their own information effectively by calculating.

In conclusion, I think the Internet is now offering valuable information that can attribute to the accuracy of the analysing statistics and the diversity of information. The Internet would provide us a new way of life, by analysing and showing many views in the world.

20160828 Essay 4: Alone vs With Friends

“No man is an island, Entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main.”, said the poem ‘for whom the bell tolls’ by John Donne. Like this sentence, we, human beings, are considered as social beings that interact with others to be mature. However, can humans find their values or meaning of existences only in social communication? The answer, on my own, is: Absolutely no. Although being with friends enables us to share our ideas with them and develop our ideas, we can think much deeply through a process called self-reflection; we recall our behaviors of the past and try to improve them to much rational aspects in the course. So I regard the self-reflection as more important thing to practise than interacting with others, so as to grow myself up.

First, spending time alone makes my feeling much stable. Some people might claim that our feelings are things to share with others so that we can be more comfortable, holding up a synonym “A Sorrow shared is half a trouble, but a joy that`s shared is a joy made double” as an example. But in this case also, we cannot get rid of concerns about the turbulence of human relationships. For instance, students often tend to evaluate others by their statements, and if there’s a bad estimation on someone, people usually spread the bad evaluation and gather to isolate the person so he would be lonely because of the evaluation and relationship. However, if being alone, we can retain our feelings much stably.

Second, investing time to myself enables self-improvement. Some insist that being with friends are more reasonable than being alone for it increases sociality. However, time for my own can also contribute to the society since I can reflect myself of the past calmly and know myself well to consider the ways to improve my actions. And in the procedure, our actions can be approached closer to the social ethics, which requires continuous self-criticizing, according to a philosophy professor Namsun Gang. Also, since each person gathers to make a society, and we interact with other members of society, having improved social ethics of myself would make for the entire society’s ethics to be better.

To conclude, I prefer to spend my time alone than with friends because it makes me be stable and give chances to improve more. Time never runs back: I hope we spend our time much efficiently which would be helpful to our life, by self-reflection and improvement.

The Story of Recycling Over Coffee

    

Picture 1. Coffee Beans

Since Gojong era of Choseon Dynasty, coffee drinking culture has deeply pervaded Korean society and history. It now became a part of modern people’s life as coffee drinking population in Korea rose. However, simultaneously, some environmental problems in the process of coffee making such as the disposal of coffee cups are often being a controversial issue.

And one of those problems mainly cited nowadays is the disposal of “used coffee grounds”. Although many people think the amount of coffee grounds wouldn’t be much, the amount of disposed coffee grounds everyday is about the average 130t, only in coffee shops located in Seoul.

One factor that makes this phenomenon happen is the unorganized recycling system in Korea, which omits the recycling of coffee grounds even if it could be reused. As a result, most people actually do not recognize the fact that used coffee grounds can be recycled since there was no national promotion about it.

     

Picture 2. Mushrooms grown by coffee grounds

 

As a solution to this problem as well as giving benefits to our lifes, growing mushrooms with coffee grounds is suggested in Paris. By using coffee grounds in urban agriculture, it is making the local consuming possible in the area. Also, the education toward farmers about it is now practiced to expand this eco-friendly method to the whole world.

In Jong-no of Seoul were similar businesses promoted. By using coffee grounds collected in the coffee shops in Jong-no district, people are now recycling them as fertilizer and fodder, making the environment much cleaner.

In addition, a bevy of scientists of Nevada University in America suggested more developed forms of technology using coffee grounds, which was producing “bio-diesels” using coffee grounds. This idea named Caffé Fuel was created since discovering the fact that the chemical reaction of ethanol and coffee grounds can make bio-diesels.

I hope further studies about disposed coffee grounds would be developed and also the perception and use of these technologies would be known to the public.

 

 

* Related Stories

- Bio-diesel producing corporation using coffee grounds

http://www.bio-bean.com/

- An Article about Caffé Fuel

https://engage.blogs.unr.edu/2013/06/20/caffe-fuel-how-coffee-could-revolutionize-biofuels/

Book Review: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

  Zombies: The biologically undead, but ‘mentally’ dead creatures. Under the domination of ‘Brave New world’, people remain as zombies because they cannot let themselves come out from the society’s ideology. What they believe as happiness and the things they feel satisfying are actually just an illusion made by the ruling communities. As a result, someone who has a different thought than the society has are considered irrational. However, they do not know the ‘truth’ of their history, since they only accept the future of their society by the knowledge unconsciously educated to them.

So, what is the civilization? The notional meaning of it, according to a dictionary, is an “advanced" culture in contrast to more supposedly primitive cultures. And in this book, it is also described as a value that all the social members should pursue. They are ignorant of their ancestor’s history. Their birth is classified into their hierarchy the scientists decide in the laboratory as the result of civilization everyday there.

  What I was shocked at in this book was the presence of Sona, drug for feeling happiness, and simultaneously making people into zombies. People see their society as ‘happiness’ itself, but it was just because their life’s anger is controlled by the medicinal effect of Sona. All their actions originated from the education they had learned in the first years after their birth.

  I once have read the book <Our beautiful country 우리들의 아름다운 나라>, the story of utopia restricting not only our sense but feelings too, as well as making humans just a studying machine. Reading <Brave New World>, I thought the circumstances of those books were very much connected to each other, on the point that older generation makes new generation as ‘idiots’ who unconsciously accept the older generation’s ruling. And I wonder whether I am also in the ‘unconscious zone’ of controls now. The world I believe as reasonable cannot be admitted to be right despite many people’s consent around me.

  “I know that I know nothing.”, Socrates said. I now understand the real meaning of this phrase: The wider vision we have, the more essentially we can regard this society. We all should try to grasp the real meaning of our life and the society to find ourselves.

20160313 Essay 3: Tax and Welfare

Nowadays, the relationship between the government and the people is usually focused on the attitude toward and role of each sides as a social objects. Especially, the policy of taking tax was arranged for more infra-structure that could seldom be constructed by individuals. But recently, the opinion that we require lowering tax is arousing due to the freedom of people's using their money after their will. However, I insist that the government collect more tax on improving the society and the people's life.

First of all, the quailty of welfare which contributes to the social development becomes much better. For instance, through the aid of exploiting human resources which can be done by government's tax, like providing education and more political support, the economic growth such as GDP rises. And Samsung is one of the representative corporation developed by this method.

Second, the process of collecting more tax is for the people. Some people might claim that higher tax lets people not be able to consume things they want. In contrast, collecting tax is proposed to re-invest to our society to solve various social problems. As a result, we can conclude it allows all people to achieve security, which are basic values that people are eager to share and enjoy for themselves. In addition, the amount of monetary can be easily controlled so that the economy of our society will be administered much effectively by this process.

Finally, the investment of the medical research can be expanded. As one of the major world market, drugs are being spotlighted. However, the present condition of inventing new medicine in our country is difficult since so little information is available. Also, when a new syndrome called MERS was at a high risk of spreading, the only laboratory for the epidemic study in Korea was not well runned because there was not much inverstment for that. And this led to another social confusion. Unlike us, several developed countries like U.S. and E.U. are getting economic vitalization by supporting these medical industries.

Conclusively, I think we should raise more tax to evolve welfare, to respect people's life more, and to lead medical research. I expect the development of Korea through these.

20160313 Essay 2: Higher Education Access

Recently, the idea of democracy led to the national development through various policies suggested for people's valuable life. And one of the social components improved by the policies is - Education. As the perception that education carries to the strength of the nation arouses, people started demanding compulsory education for all teenagers from the government. Then it allowed our society to become more advanced. Despite all these benefits, now some people insists higher education be available only to good students because that's the way to raise outstanding people much effectively. However, I personally think higher education should be accessible to all people.

First, the education for all the students fulfills the equality of chances. Some might claim that classified education is needed to achieve the aim of growing remarkable students. In contrast, the opinion is not only against the spirit of democracy, but the education itself, which should exist for all who want to approach.

Second, the process of sharing knowledge, which is common in higher education, makes people get more ideas from a variety of students. for instance, my sister is now majoring in the study of tourism, and through some activities in groups helped her do more successful projects. And it also led to more social contacts.

Finally, the role of education for students is to experience the society. The important point of the education is that capabilities of absorbing, apllying, and improving knowledge are not the only purpose of higher education. Rather, people can meet each other and learn how to survive in communities.

In conclusion, I claim higher education to be adopted to every student for the reason that the education offers people the equal opportunities, chance of sharing ideas with people, and the way to experience society on secondhand. Therefore, I hope the education be more fair.

20160225 Essay 1: Industrialization and Food Culture

Due to the rapid economic growth and the industrialization, our food culture has changed a great deal. Especially, the “food” became one of the goods made by the factory, contributing to the shorter time to prepare for dishes than our ancestors had done. But suggesting that modern “industrialized” food styles can badly affect our health, some people claim that this phenomenon deteriorates the way they live. However, in my opinion, it has led to the improvement of our life.

First of all, it brings more relaxation to our life. Some people might insist that they can get calm through the process of preparing foods. However, for most of people, it rather increases the amount of stress. For instance, about 86% of homemakers responded that they get stress under compulsion of preparing holiday foods, according to a survey. And it caused the convenient food market more succeed. Additionally, since saving our time to prepare Cuisine, we have more spare time to use in various ways such as working, taking a rest, and so on.

Also, it provides us with more jobs. The more HMR(Home meal replacement) and RTC(Ready to cook) market grows, the more people can be offered the workplaces through the economic vitalization. Especially, the innovatingart of the industry will be developed as more people want new fascinating products to the company.

Lastly, consumers prefer those foods owing to their convenience. For example, according to the industry, the cost of the HMR(home meal replacement) sale domestically increased from 13,000 million to 17,000 million won in 2014. And this result is known as caused by the fact that more consumers are likely to buy food easy to cook, regarding their interviews.

In conclusion, I think the easiness of preparing food improved the quality of people’s life, and makes us cook in convenient way. Therefore, I hope this market be expanded.

Find your own recycling method at home!

  Recycling: The act of reusing something. When people talk about this concept, they easily think of only the . However, recycling literally means all the actions coming from ideas to use something once more. 

 

  What do you guys "recycle"? Today, I would figure out my family's recycling attitude and share our own recycling methods to develop the ideas of preserving earth.

 

  I would introduce you "3P" recycling methods of our family.

 

1. Recycling of Plastic Basket 

 

 

 

  One of the 3"P"s is the recyling of plastic baskets. My family store some plastic baskets to reuse it in many different ways, such as picking up litter and packing something. We fold those baskets in square and  put them in a certain place near our kitchen.

 

 

2. Recycling of Paper Basket

 

 

  The second "P" is the recyling of paper baskets. We collect the paper baskets received from many organizations and shopping. And we use it as an eco-basket while shopping, or use it to pack a present hygienically. There are about 30 baskets in my house.

 

3. Recycling of Packing Box

 

 

 

   The last "P" is recyling of packing boxes. The box in the picture above is what I made in Grade 7. I reformed one used anchovy box into the key holder by cleaning it and decorating it with hand-made calendar.

 

  One more instance using a packing box. I made the box into a game box, putting some Korean traditional games in it and some sorts like dices. And it gained so much popularity that I donated the box to my school.

  These were some recycling cases practiced among my family. What are your tips for recycling in your own house, and what are the differences with me?

 

  The more we practice recycling, the cleaner this earth becomes. Please share some recycling experiences of your own and share with me. The share will enable our life to become much pleasant.