[One Sip of a Book] It's Still Okay, 'So What If You Dig'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with the reader’s heart, creating a connection with the book. Here, we excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books. - Editor’s note

Here is a person who studied philosophy in New York and Berlin but has never professionally studied ‘painting’ and has made it his profession. He has been continuously collaborating with the New York fashion brand ‘Sundae School,’ and has been responsible for logo designs such as the handmade Makgeolli ‘Dalbit Makgeolli’ and the Chuncheon bookstay hotel ‘Sorakjae.’ He has also painted murals for ‘Hotel Cappuccino’ and the independent bookstore ‘Pulmujil,’ and worked on projects like the Netflix 'Kingdom' exhibition, the 'Jang Yoonjeong’s BEST 2020' LP cover, and the 'Don Panic' magazine cover. But he doesn’t just paint. He is also in charge of design and overall branding for the shared housing startup ‘Cellip,’ and in the past, he even founded a temple food restaurant for vegans. The book is the author’s vow, shouted countless times through many trials and errors, and it sends a message to those who are afraid of failure and don’t even try. No matter what anyone says, he shares his experiences of challenging, failing, and challenging again in his own way.

Living frugally without a grand dream means not being bound by the future or money. Those who live freely without any constraints, perhaps because of that, really had a lot of fun. In fact, Berlin is the city where grown adults can have the most fun, and Berliners are experts in methods and means of indulgence. Berlin friends always did their best to enjoy each day and were as happy as could be every day. To live so joyfully and happily without dreams or money! For me, who believed that only a life racing toward dreams was rewarding and meaningful, this was inevitably a shock, and it was the first cultural shock I received.

Pages 32-33 #1. Person: To live happily without dreams or money! Excerpt

One somewhat unusual point is that when talking with friends, they never once discussed the grand ideology of vegetarianism or the right and wrong of meat-eating. For them, vegetarianism was simply a choice based on personal preference. For example, a friend who was vegetarian for health and skin care reasons wore a fur coat inherited from her grandmother, and a friend who was vegetarian due to distrust of the meat production system occasionally ate meat, but only when the transparency of the production process was guaranteed. In Berlin, vegetarianism was not an ideological issue of right and wrong but simply a matter of preference, and this changed my perspective on vegetarianism.

Page 56 #5. Saying goodbye to meat in the sanctuary of vegetarianism Excerpt

There are two kinds of ‘beauty’ in the world: fun and meaning. A combination of fun and meaning! Life is hollow if you only pursue fun, and tiring if you only seek meaning. But what if you pursue both fun and meaning together? Such a perfect driving force for life is no longer impossible. From then until now, the main driving force that fuels my life is a combination of fun and meaning in a ratio of seven to three.

Page 120 Two kinds of ‘beauty’ and complete combustion Excerpt

As the saying goes, ‘busy body, peaceful mind,’ it is best not to think too much when times are tough. The same goes for good times. In good and fun situations, there is no need to find a reason. I think the wise approach is simply to focus on the moment and enjoy it. The situation of having a good time can be likened to ‘playing,’ and the act of asking questions is like pressing the ‘pause button.’ Asking ‘why’ in a happy moment can be said to stop that moment.

Unlike seeking meaning, when seeking fun, there is no need to ask ‘why.’ The only question needed at this time is ‘Why Not.’ This phrase can be translated as ‘Why not?’, ‘What’s wrong with it?’, ‘So what?’, or ‘Oh well, whatever.’ In other words, it is a question and a mantra that makes you follow instinct and emotion rather than reason. With ‘Why not?’ we can boldly leap into the unknown world.

Pages 155-156 Adding fun to life with Why Not Excerpt

What if You Dig? | Written by Park Yeon | Semicolon | 280 pages | 16,000 KRW