[Current & Culture] The Way They Say "Kind of Good"

While proofreading a book written by high school students, I came across the sentence, “Teacher, I think this class is good. My heart is full.” I smiled unconsciously. They and I are both grouped as the MZ generation. It feels awkward to group me, who just turned forty this year, and them, who are about to turn twenty, as the same generation.

Last year, a critic interviewed me as a writer who could be considered the eldest brother of the MZ generation, and my friend and I laughed for a long time. However, the language we use is as different as that gap. At least the M generation does not often use expressions like “I think it’s OO.”

While teaching writing at university, I met many twenty-year-old students. When I asked them something, they often answered with “I think it’s OO.” But that didn’t mean they were giving wrong answers. They gave accurate answers while using such expressions. One day during a break, I overheard their conversation.

“I kind of like this.”

“Right, how about this?”

“Yeah, I kind of like this too.”

“What about this?”

“Kind of, hehe, kind of like that. Kind of.”

This didn’t seem like human conversation at all. If it’s good, it’s good?why keep using such uncertain, tentative expressions? Moreover, the adverb “kind of” was very annoying. Why add such an uncertain modifier? Korean might be all about adverbs. As I paid attention, I heard such conversations everywhere. Even their submitted writing was like that. There were many expressions like “I think it’s OO.” So I found video materials and showed them during class. For example, a reporter asks a citizen, “How’s the weather today?” and the citizen replies, “I think it’s cold today.”

The students said there was nothing strange about that interview. When I asked why they use expressions like “kind of I think OO,” they answered that it was a form of modesty, a cautiousness that their opinion might be wrong, and also a way to avoid the tiring task of leading a matter proactively or having conflicts with others. They had their own reasons. I told them that it’s fine to speak that way, but when writing, if it’s cold, you should write clearly that it’s cold. And to the person you love, instead of saying “I kind of think I love you,” you should say clearly, “I love you.”

Still, I hope they keep that cautious attitude toward life. This is an age of confirmation bias, where people cannot tolerate opinions different from their own. Especially the M generation seems to be entering the stage of becoming the very “old men” they used to hate beyond just “young bosses.” It’s hard to find a heart that doesn’t want to hurt others on YouTube or social media.

I put the phrase “Teacher, I think this class is good.” prominently on the back cover of my upcoming book. Some might think, if it’s good, it’s good?what’s with “I think it’s good”? But this is a living phrase that contains the heart of a generation. I hope that heart will be felt by the readers of this book as well.

Kim Minseop, Social and Cultural Critic