[Chaekdam] A Life Where Hope Runs Out and Only Emptiness Remains... Yet Reasons to Keep Living Well

Professor Kim Young-min's New Book 'How to Deal with the Emptiness of Life'
"Emptiness Does Not Fade as Long as the Soul Exists
It Seems We Need the Strength and Environment to Live
Whether There Is Hope or Not"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] “Humans became human not merely by reproducing but by seeking meaning beyond reproduction. Humans became human by not being satisfied with the present and holding hope for a better future. Humans became human by opposing survival of the fittest and inventing goodwill.”

Dr. Kim Youngmin, a scholar of intellectual history and a professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University, has devoted himself to ontological studies of humans. Although humans opposed survival of the fittest and developed goodwill, human history is still marked by massacres, wars, oppression, and exploitation. Professor Kim is deeply engaged in finding the hidden answers within this. Hope? Goodwill? Meaning? ... None of these. There can be no hope for the exhausted, goodwill is useless to those filled with distrust, and meaning is also useless to those who are empty inside. Professor Kim’s conclusion is that “nihilism is like the smell of blood in the human soul; as long as there is a soul, nihilism can never be completely washed away.” Then, how should we live well while carrying that ‘nihilism’? We met Professor Kim on the 15th, who encapsulated the fruits of his contemplation in his new book, What to Do with the Nihilism of Life (Sahoe Pyongron).

- The sentence in the book’s prologue, “Hope should sometimes be a consolation for those who can live without hope,” is very striking.

▲It seems too harsh to tell someone to get through a difficult life with hope alone. Whether or not one has hope, one needs the strength and environment to live on.

- The theme of this book is ‘nihilism.’ You seem to have been absorbed in this topic for a long time. Is there a special reason?

▲There are two positions I disagree with. First, the position that life is not at all nihilistic, so one can just live brightly. Second, the position that life is nihilistic, so one should live carelessly. Unlike these two, my position is that even if life is nihilistic, or because life is nihilistic, one can live well. Since the first and second positions seem widespread, I wanted to declare my different stance.

- You said you usually refuse requests to write about ‘consolation,’ but in fact, this book is full of content that consoles readers. The writing “to control anxiety” seems to help others control their anxiety...

▲I think it is good if the author receives consolation in the process of writing, and the reader receives consolation by reading the book. However, writing with the ‘purpose’ of consolation itself feels somewhat unnatural. If someone gained consolation from my book, that reader probably already had a desire to be consoled.

- The phrase “A yard with broom marks looks cleaner than a yard without any broom marks” is impressive. It feels like a reason to continuously challenge and refine life even within nihilism.

▲Isn’t a person who overcomes adversity and achieves success more beautiful and moving than someone born into a good family with good abilities? Similarly, a yard that looks clean because of effort looks better than a yard that looks clean from the start. Broom marks are traces of that effort.

- There is a story about a student who studies excessively hard and when asked why, replied, “Because I like the moment of studying.” What is such a moment for you?

▲I also like the moment of studying, the moment of walking, the moment of eating delicious food, and the moment of talking with kind and humorous people. It is good when I can simply enjoy the taste and charm of the moment without any particular purpose in mind.

- You said, “Experiencing happiness in life while simultaneously knowing that you are experiencing happiness is twice as happy.” Does this mean recognizing overlooked happiness is important?

▲A happy experience makes a person twice as happy. By recognizing that happy experience, one becomes happy once more. It is like recalling a happy memory and feeling good.

- You said, “Salvation will come from making humble and meaningless labor into labor that can be enjoyed.” Is there a special method?

▲People all fear overwork because they know how hard it is. I think a state of boredom without anything one wants to do is equally hard. Finding work that one can enjoy is something especially important to do in youth. If it is too frightening, one should avoid it. But I hope people do not avoid what they like just because it is somewhat scary. Courage is needed.

- You said that ‘mental resilience’ is most important to escape the ‘hell of competition.’ It seems relevant to major social conflicts as well.

▲One reason competition intensifies is that everyone tries to walk the same path. When resources are limited and everyone looks from the same perspective and tries to walk the same path, competition inevitably intensifies. When diversity increases, competition generally eases. Mental resilience is important to take different perspectives. Without such resilience, people easily hate others who think differently.

- Lastly, do you have any message you want to convey to readers?

▲I am always grateful to readers who read my book. I hope you live well managing nihilism in this harsh world.

▶Professor Kim Youngmin

is a scholar of intellectual history and a professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University. He earned his Ph.D. in East Asian intellectual history from Harvard University and served as a professor at Bryn Mawr College. He continues research on East Asian political intellectual history and comparative political intellectual history. He previously gained significant attention for his column illuminating the essence of holidays, What is Chuseok? His essay collections include It Is Good to Think of Death in the Morning (2018), What We Can Barely Hope For (2019), What Is Studying? (2020), and Living as a Human Is a Problem (2021).