[One Thousand Characters a Day] 'Loneliness Class' <2> - Are You Being Respected?

Editor's NoteKim Min-sik, former MBC PD and author of ＜Loneliness Class＞, has actively communicated with readers, viewers, and netizens across various fields, from SF novel translator to star PD, bestselling author, and YouTuber with over one million views. However, when health and career crises struck, he became disappointed in himself, cut off all social networking services (SNS), and even closed the blog he had written daily for ten years, effectively isolating himself. At the age of fifty, facing unemployment, unprepared retirement, and the resulting anxiety and loneliness overwhelmed him. Yet, through solitude, he finally saw his true self. He tells his readers, "When loneliness comes, it means the time has come to fully love myself. I had been living forgetting myself, swayed by others' opinions and the world's judgments, but now that self has come back to me. Now, I ask you to take care of me a little." Word count: 1043.

These days, even when you are alone, you are not truly alone. It's because of smartphones. I often put my smartphone on silent and focus on exercise, walking, or reading. I check messages only once every hour or two. If someone has something important, they will send a text if I don't answer the phone. I also refrain from looking at SNS apps. Just by stopping the real-time broadcasting of my life and reducing the time spent peeking into others' lives through real-time smartphones, small daily happiness increases. Accessing the internet three times a day is enough. Not checking texts, KakaoTalk, or emails in real time does not cause any major problems. Gallup, a public opinion research organization, asked the following questions while measuring happiness in various countries.

Yesterday, were you respected by others?

Yesterday, did you learn something new?

Yesterday, did you do what you do best?

Yesterday, did you have someone you could trust?

Yesterday, were you able to choose how to spend your time?

The reason these questions were asked is that the answers are closely related to our happiness. We experience happiness when we are respected rather than ignored by others, when we feel fulfilled by learning and growing, when we perform well without suffering from inferiority, when we feel reassured knowing there is someone to trust no matter what happens, and when we live our lives autonomously. Happiness is determined by inner needs such as respect, growth, competence, support, and freedom.

Based on the proportion of people who answered "yes" to these five questions, the ranking of countries was determined, and shockingly, South Korea ranked 83rd out of 89 countries. The questions our society mainly asks concern economic wealth and social status. They ask if you earn well but not if you live autonomously. They ask if you work for a large company but not if you live with respect. They ask about apartment size but not about loneliness. How would you answer these five questions? I hope you can answer "yes" to more questions more often.

- Kim Min-sik, ＜Loneliness Class＞, Saenggakjeongwon, 18,000 KRW