iamyewonlee

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 13 Homework]

"The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think." -Albert Einstein

"Schools have not necessarily much to do with education...they are mainly institutions of control where certain basic habits must be inculcated in the young.  Education is quite different and has little place in school." -Winston Churchill

After reading these two quotes about education, what do you believe the aim and the purpose of education should be?

What does it mean to become 'educated' and why would you say that attaining an 'education' is important?

>>> I believe the goal and purpose of education are to help individuals become socialized. Of course, we learn academics, but education is also about acquiring the basic manners and ways of living necessary for navigating this world. Being "educated" seems to mean completing all the essentials required to be a member of society.

Everyone is different, but just because my philosophy of life works for me doesn’t mean it will apply to the world at large. I think education is essential for creating a world where everyone can come together as one.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 11 Homework]

3.  WEEKLY TUMBLR POST

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING QUOTES AND WRITE A RESPONSE:

1. "The family is one of nature's masterpieces." -George Santayana (from The Life of Reason)

2. "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city." -George Burns (comedian)

3. "A father may turn his back on his child, brother and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands, but a mother's love endures through all." -Washington Irving (short-story writer and essayist)

4. "Every man must define his identity against his mother.  If he does not, he falls back into her and is swallowed up."

-Camille Paglia (feminist/social critic)

>>> I chose the quote, "The family is one of nature's masterpieces."

I agree with this statement. The Bible also mentions that God created man and woman, which became the foundation of the family. Furthermore, doesn’t it say that humans were made from the dust of the ground? Dust is also a product of nature. Without it, we wouldn’t even be able to stand on the earth. Humans, born from this masterpiece called dust, are also a beautiful creation of nature. These beautiful masterpieces have formed various nations and now live together in this world.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 10 Homework]

3.  WEEKLY TUMBLR POST

‘If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.’ – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Do you agree or disagree?  Explain your answer.

>>> I agree with this opinion. The first community a baby encounters after birth is the "family." In other words, the first people they meet are the "father" and "mother." Parents play an incredibly important role in a person's life. However, not everyone has this experience. But does being a parent necessarily mean being a biological parent? I believe anyone who helps me grow as a member of society can be considered a parent.

The same goes for teachers. If parents play a crucial role in the early stages, then teachers play a significant role in the later stages of life. What one learns in school can create a turning point in their life. Depending on which path they take, society may either become filled with corruption or turn into a beautiful and peaceful world.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 9 Homework]

This is a quote from Walt Disney:

"Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional."

Tell me what you think he meant by that, and tell me if you think that this quote has any validity for you.

Do you want to grow up?  Is growing up a bad thing?  What does it mean to 'grow up'?

>>> A person inevitably grows older. We cannot escape this. Eventually, we will all reach middle age and old age. Some people try to stay young by taking supplements, exercising, or taking care of their bodies, but I believe that these things only help maintain our physical activity; aging is unavoidable. However, "growing up" carries a slightly different meaning. I once had a senior in my club tell me, "A young child can be wiser than us, and adults can sometimes have the thoughts of children."

Does growing older automatically make you mature? I don’t think so. There are many adults today who don’t act their age. In fact, there is much to learn from children. Their pure and honest nature—that’s what we can learn from. Growing up is a concept of learning. A mature person learns by observing the behavior of role models and understands what it means to be mature. In other words, I believe "growing up" is an attitude of thinking wisely and rationally in every situation.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 6 Homework]

2.  WEEKLY TUMBLR POST #4

On p.27 of your textbook, there are 3 quotes:

1)  "A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway." -Fr. Jerome Cummings (Fr. means 'father', a title used for priests.)

2)  "A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love." -Mother Theresa

3)  "Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." -Langston Hughes

Choose one of them and write a thoughtful response.  What do you think they are trying to tell us?  Why do you think they are important?  Why did you choose the one you chose?  What meaning does it have for you?

>>> I chose the first quote.

The first quote seems to show us how important friends are in our lives. Throughout life, we encounter many people—whether they are classmates, bosses, or family members, we build relationships with them. This is where the concept of friendship comes in. Friends are those who know us well and still offer us the love of friendship. I, too, can be someone’s friend. Sometimes, conflicts arise between friends, but I believe such conflicts occur because we care about each other. If I were to sum up friendship in keywords, they would be 'love, friendship, and care.'

The reason I chose this quote is that I didn’t have friends in the past. Because of that, I didn’t understand the importance of friendship and human relationships. Now that I have many friends, I realize how important they are to me. It has shown me that there are people besides my family who care about and love me.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 5 Homework]

3.  TUMBLR POST #3

Napoleon Hill, author of one of the world's most well-known self-help books entitled 'Think and Grow Rich', wrote that "the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people."  

In today's world, which has become an online global community through social networking sites like Twitter or "X", Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and many others, filled with all kinds of so-called 'influencers', how do you decide what constitutes a positive influence and what constitutes a negative influence?  

How do you determine 'truth' or 'fact' from 'misinformation' and 'disinformation'?  

How do you know who has your best interests at heart?  

How do you choose the people who influence you?

>>> I enjoy following various influencer posts as a comic influencer on Instagram. However, I believe that not all information is correct. When distinguishing between truthful and false information, I usually look for other people's opinions as well. Of course, these opinions might also be incorrect, but I find it much easier to make judgments after considering multiple pieces of information rather than just one.

As for how to determine who has the best interests at heart, I think this can vary from person to person. What may seem like a great interest to one person might not appeal to another.

Lastly, I tend to choose the people who influence me based on my interests. I like languages and art, so I follow influencers related to language learning and artists. They have actually been very helpful to me.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 4 Homework]

In today's world, so many of us seek out extremes as a means of making our lives somehow better, but Aristotle believed that "the best things are placed between extremes".  For example, courage is a good thing, but if it is taken to extremes, it can become recklessness or cowardice.  Do you agree or disagree with Aristotle that the best things exist between the extremes?  Explain.  

>> Honestly, I don't agree with Aristotle's opinion. I think anything taken to extremes is not good. This is because I've seen many people around me act in extreme ways. Even when it comes to courage, it’s not good to have too much or too little. If you have excessive courage, it’s hard to handle the consequences when something big goes wrong. On the other hand, lacking courage feels quite frustrating. It seems that balance in everything is important. I believe it’s best to control things with rational thinking.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 3 Homework ]

Oscar Wilde, famous author and playwright, who was well known for his great wit, once wrote, "Selfishness is not living your life as you wish.  It is asking others to live their lives as you wish."

-What do you think he meant by that?

: I don't think it's fair to say that someone living their own way is automatically selfish. Even people who aren't selfish can do so. However, demanding others to live according to my way is a very selfish act. Others also have their own lifestyles. Isn't that what it means?

-Isn't it selfish to live your life as you wish?

: As mentioned earlier, it can't be said that it is automatically selfish. It may be a specific condition, but not a necessary one. Of course, the world doesn't always go the way I want. However, even in such situations, we can see people pursuing their own lifestyles.

-What do you think it means to live your life as you wish?

: I think living as you wish means setting a plan for life and following it. Some may think, "I don't have a plan," but in reality, it's quite rare to find people without any life plans. Isn't "wishing" essentially the same as "planning"?

-How is living your life as you wish different from asking others to live their lives as you wish?

: Living as I wish may not directly affect others. However, demanding that same way from others is essentially making a suggestion, and the impact of that suggestion can be tremendous. In this context, the word "asking" is quite negative. Let's take the example of parents and children. Parents should raise their children with care until they grow up and become independent. A child is a separate individual from the parents. However, if parents view the child as their possession and impose their will, it can be overwhelming for the child. As a result, the child may not grow up properly.

-Is only one of those things selfish, as Oscar Wilde states, or are they both selfish?

: In my opinion, both can be selfish. As I mentioned earlier, living as I wish can be a selfish act under certain conditions, since indirect influence can't be ruled out. However, the latter case simply stands out more visibly.

-How would you define selfishness?

: "Selfishness" isn't just thinking only of myself, but also acting recklessly without considering the state of others. This is how I define selfishness. We should respect others' ways as well, not just our own. However, it's important to discern right from wrong carefully.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 13 Homework]

A man named John W. Gardner once stated that "life is an endless process of self-discovery."  

I agree.  What important discoveries have you made recently?  Explain how you made the discovery and why you believe it is important to you.

>> I'm a little cautious about saying this, but I recently discovered that I have some depression. People around me used to say, "You look tired these days." I didn't understand it at first. I'm not tired, but why does everyone say that I look tired... Then, a few days later, through conversations with the club members, I found myself in a depressed state for many reasons. Tears came out. If I hadn't discovered this, I might have been in even greater depression. I realized that knowing about my condition in life is very important.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 11 Homework]

Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men ever to have lived, believed that "if you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes."

What are your goals?  What goals do you have that command your thoughts, liberate your energy, and inspire your hopes?

>>> It's my goal… My goal is to be a supportive person to someone else. I've loved helping someone since a long time ago. I was also happy when they became happy through it. I think that's still the case these days. Listening to other people's concerns or helping them do things that are difficult for them to do alone. I feel that I'm giving them love. They will also share the love they received from someone. Alas, how good a world would be if everyone had this kind of heart? I pray that such a world will come.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 10 Homework]

Novelist, Stephen R. Donaldson wrote that "futility is the defining characteristic of life."  I don't agree with that statement.  I don't know that Stephen R. Donaldson even agrees with that statement given that he has authored more than 30 novels. If he truly believed that futility was the defining characteristic of life, why would he have bothered to write anything at all?  Books live on beyond the lives of the authors who write them.  Is that a futile endeavor?  I don't think so.  

What would you say is the defining characteristic of your life?  Is it courage?  Is it love?  Is it the pursuit of excellence?  Is it bitterness and regret?  Is it a search for meaning?  Tell me and explain your answer. Why do you believe that it is the defining characteristic of your life?

>>> Well, that's a pretty tough question. To be honest, I also don't know why futility is the defining characteristic of life. I don't understand it either, but there could be something we don't know. Anyway, I think the characteristic that defines my life is love. Probably. Without love, we lose our purpose in life. Loving everything in the world, not just loving someone, can enrich our lives. Wouldn't this be like saying I love my life? I think loving my life is the definition of life.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 9 Homework]

Albert Einstein once made this comparison:

"Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance, you must keep moving."

Nathaniel Hawthorne once made this comparison:

"Happiness is like a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." 

What do you think?  Is Einstein right?  Do we have to keep moving or is it equally important to sit down quietly once in a while if we wish to find balance/happiness?  Who is right, or are they both right?

>>> Neither is wrong, but I think Nathaniel Hawthorne's words are more meaningful. We keep busy in life. There's no time to rest. We have to move constantly to achieve something. However, in the long run, this is not very good. Sometimes you have to take a break. Should I say it's time for reorganize? I need to look back on what I'm doing in my life to see if it fits my aptitude. Otherwise, you live like a puppet, swayed by what others say. You lose your self-direction. I agree with Einstein, but rest is also the most important value in life.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 6 Homework]

Helen Keller once said that "character cannot be developed in ease and quiet."  What do you think?  How do you think people develop character?  Do you think that you are a person of character?

*character here means the ability to deal effectively with difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant situations.

>>> Helen Keller was a person who, as everyone knows, had visual, hearing, and speech impairment. This was because of meningitis that she started suffering from around 19 months old. However, since she met Anne Sullivan, she has learned how to overcome her disabilities, so she is introduced as a great person in modern times. So I agree with her. Personality is developed by doing various things. It can never be quietly developed. Even if it develops, it is unlikely to be normal. I've been having difficulty controlling my emotions since a long time ago, but I learned how to properly control my emotions through the help of people around me.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 5 Homework]

TOPIC:  Do you enjoy advertisements on sites like Youtube?  Do you feel they are helpful?

>>> Well, I don't know if I'm the only one feeling this way, but there's a lot of really weird ads on YouTube. Of course, each person has different advertisements on YouTube. Because YouTube advertisements all vary depending on the age group and videos that individuals are interested in. Sometimes, when you are abroad, advertisements related to the country appear. I went to Vietnam two months ago, and an advertisement for a taxi app in Vietnam appeared. As such, advertisements vary depending on the user, but in my case, there were a lot of game advertisements. The problem was that most of the games were weird. They even made sensational advertisements with it. YouTube must be of full age, but I was really surprised as soon as I saw it. These are not supposed to be seen by young children! Of course, there are many helpful advertisements. But there are also many sensational or fraudulent advertisements. I think that's the disadvantage of YouTube. It is difficult to determine the authenticity of the advertisement. If anything, I'm negative about whether YouTube ads are helpful.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 4 Homework]

Famous painter, Wassily Kandinsky, wrote that "to create a work of art is to create the world".  What do you think he meant by that?  Tell me what you think.

>>> Art works contain the worldview of artists. They express their worldview in pictures and sculptures. I'm not an artist, but I'm also an art lover, and their stories are contained in the painting. I think Wassily Kandinsky meant this when he said so. Works of art can change the world. For better or worse. We can see things that we haven't seen on the outside through works of art.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU Week 3 Homework]

"What you see depends not only on what you look at, but also on where you look from." -James Deacon

What are your thoughts on this quote?  Why do you think it is important to be aware of your own perspectives?What do you think the author means by this?  Why is it significant?

>>> Well, what I can say for sure is that it's very special to be from a person's perspective. Because each situation is different. So it's important to be conscious of your point of view. First of all, I need to know what I feel about something so I can organize my thoughts, and furthermore, when other people feel different from me in something, we realize that those people can feel that way, and we expand our thinking skills.

[iamyewonlee]

[KNU WEEK 2 Homework]

Author, Howard Thurman, once wrote, "Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go and do it.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." 

What makes you come alive?  Tell me.

>>> I think, the people around me make me alive. Before I became a college student, every day was a lonely life for me. I just stared blankly into space. I thought I would make a lot of friends because I went to elementary school, middle school, and high school in the same neighborhood, but I didn't. However, as I came to college, I became close to people from various places by talking about each other, and the number is countless. Maybe that's why I feel myself alive. Before, my life didn't seem like a human being.