[A Sip of Books] "Don't Overtrust Your Beliefs, I Might Be Wrong"

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. We introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

This book was written by an author who, after walking the path of a current affairs critic for over 30 years, faced a turning point in life due to a suddenly discovered brain tumor. It contains reflections and thoughts on life that the author gained while living a second life after standing at the crossroads of life and death. Through the time of battling illness, the author’s perspective on the changed world and humanity, the realization that what is truly precious in life was not far away but right beside them, the experience of stepping back from the world to find a quiet and peaceful life, and the story that becoming a neighborhood uncle and growing old is not as bad as one might think are all woven into the sentences.

What we must never forget is that people have different thoughts from each other. In a world where 100 people have 100 different thoughts, there is no need to say more about politics, where opinions are naturally divided. Therefore, with the attitude of ‘My thoughts are always right, and your thoughts are always wrong,’ it is impossible to live together in this world. We must have the mindset that my thoughts could be wrong and your thoughts could be right for communication to be possible. That is the coexistence of different thoughts. Political philosopher Hannah Arendt urged us to live a ‘thinking political life.’ The politics she spoke of meant an act of communication based on the diversity among pluralistic humans.

- From 1-6. Do Not Overtrust Your Beliefs, I Could Be Wrong

When you are young and actively working and meeting people, losing even one thing causes emotional wounds. So you feel very regretful and upset about what you have lost. But as you grow older, you no longer cling to everything so much. Now, being aware that the remaining time of life is limited, you come to think that it is okay to just live like this. So even with the lingering aftereffects in the body, I live feeling happiness.

- From 5-1. The Quiet Life After the Typhoon

Generally, humans live with passionate emotions in their youth. But as they grow older, they develop and evolve into a form with rational reason and balanced thinking. Then, as they begin to age, they often regress into people who stubbornly cling to their own opinions. What makes us old may not be the number of years but the attitude of closing the door to communication and insisting only on one’s own thoughts. People who open their ears and try to listen to various stories about themselves do not age easily.

- From 4-4. Not Stubbornly Growing Old

Time to Find Myself | Written by Yu Chang-seon | Saebit | 240 pages | 16,000 KRW