[One Sip of a Book] Gender Conflict, Death, Capital, Refugees... What It Means to Be Human

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 present meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

The author, a nun and scholar, has lived as an Asian woman and outsider in the United States, praying for and supporting those on the margins of society, such as women, sexual minorities, and the poor. However, as social systems and economic power grew stronger, witnessing the weakening of the vulnerable made her ponder what it means to be truly human. She selects 12 essential topics?such as AI, contactless culture, gender conflicts, death, capital, and refugees?that we must consider to preserve our humanity in this era, sharing the results of her long reflections.

When the first wave of COVID-19 peaked, I often saw young people plugging their smartphones into outdoor outlets at coffee shops while doing homework during walks around the neighborhood. As attending school became difficult, students without internet or computers at home had no choice but to struggle with assignments on their small smartphones. After seeing this, I decided not to demand perfect writing from my students. I felt we must intentionally strive to keep the world an open community. From Chapter 1, "The Suddenly Encountered Zoom World"

Now, I call those who live extraordinary everyday lives poets. A social poet is someone who can greet other humans suffering in daily life and does not need to be an alchemist of language. They simply know how to show courtesy to others, feel fulfilled in their own daily lives, and hope that everyone on Earth, even if they experience different feelings, lives their own fulfilling everyday life. We must sing poems that smell of humanity in extraordinary daily life, with a somewhat humble heart. From Chapter 2, "The Extraordinary in Everyday Life"

One hot summer day, I was sitting at an outdoor caf? in Paris’s 1st arrondissement, drinking apple cider. Most of the customers were white, and Asians like me were rare. Suddenly, I found it strange. It felt odd that in the international city of Paris, I could not see diverse races. A few days later, in the suburbs I visited, I easily encountered Black people. (...) Paris, upon my return, remained a beautiful city of art, but I could not help but feel a strong aversion to the streets and building fa?ades steeped in the spirit of modern colonialism. The Obelisk from the Luxor Temple in Egypt still stands awkwardly like a refugee in Place de la Concorde. From Chapter 10, "Migration, Refugees, Diaspora"

Ultimately, I want to meet courageous people who intentionally embrace inefficiency. People curious about what AI cannot capture, those who are certain that life cannot stand firmly on certainty in a world that demands it, and thus immerse themselves in uncertainty. Perhaps these people will see things that computers cannot output and meet those invisible behind smooth screens. Above all, while appreciating AI’s capabilities, they will sometimes unplug, seek human connection, bring a flower, and suddenly rise to visit a curious friend to ask how they are doing. From Chapter 12, "Getting Friendly with AI"

To Wounded Humanity | Written by Park Jeong-eun | HanbitBiz | 296 pages | 15,800 KRW