2 Harmony and Balance
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2.1 Collective Orientation
📖 Prioritizing the needs of the group over individual desires.
2.1.1 item Maintaining the harmony of the group is the highest virtue.
- rationale:
- Koreans prioritize the well-being of the collective, ensuring that everyone’s needs are met and conflicts are minimized.
2.1.2 item Individual desires should be tempered by the group’s goals.
- rationale:
- Personal ambitions and sacrifices are considered in the context of the group’s overall success and harmony.
2.1.3 item Cooperation and collaboration are essential for a thriving society.
- rationale:
- Koreans value collective decision-making, where different perspectives are considered to reach a consensus that benefits all.
2.1.5 item Obligations and responsibilities to the group outweigh personal desires.
- rationale:
- Koreans prioritize fulfilling their duties and obligations to their family, workplace, and larger community, even if it means sacrificing personal interests.
2.2 Hierarchy and Respect
📖 Maintaining a clear social hierarchy and showing respect for elders and authority figures.
2.2.1 item Respect is given not earned.
- rationale:
- In Korean culture, age and seniority are highly valued. Respect is automatically given to elders, regardless of their achievements or status.
2.2.2 item Harmony is more important than individual rights.
- rationale:
- Koreans place a great emphasis on maintaining social harmony and avoiding conflict. This can sometimes lead to the suppression of individual rights in favor of the greater good.
2.2.3 item It is important to save face.
- rationale:
- Koreans are very concerned with their public image and reputation. They will often go to great lengths to avoid embarrassment or shame.
2.2.4 item Education is the key to success.
- rationale:
- Koreans place a high value on education and see it as the path to success in life. They are willing to invest heavily in their children’s education.
2.2.5 item Family is everything.
- rationale:
- Koreans have a strong sense of family and loyalty. They are expected to take care of their elderly parents and support their siblings.
2.3 Modesty and Humility
📖 Downplaying one’s own achievements and avoiding drawing attention to oneself.
2.3.1 item Do not boast about your accomplishments.
- rationale:
- Modesty is considered a virtue in Korean culture, and bragging is seen as rude and arrogant. It is considered more important to let others see your achievements through your actions rather than talking about them yourself.
2.3.2 item Do not call attention to yourself.
- rationale:
- In Korean culture, it is considered impolite to stand out from the crowd. People are expected to be humble and respectful of others, and drawing attention to oneself is seen as disrespectful.
2.3.3 item Be humble in your speech and actions.
- rationale:
- Humility is highly valued in Korean culture, and is seen as a sign of good character. People who are humble are seen as being approachable and easy to get along with, and are often respected by others.
2.3.4 item Do not take credit for the work of others.
- rationale:
- It is considered unethical in Korean culture to take credit for the work of others. People are expected to be honest and accountable for their own actions, and taking credit for someone else’s work is seen as dishonest.
2.3.5 item Be grateful for the help of others.
- rationale:
- Gratitude is considered a virtue in Korean culture, and people are expected to be thankful for the help they receive from others. Expressing gratitude shows that you appreciate the help you have received, and helps to strengthen relationships.
2.4 Emotional Restraint
📖 Suppressing strong emotions and maintaining a calm demeanor, especially in public settings.
2.4.1 item Emotions should be kept private and not be expressed openly in public.
- rationale:
- Public display of emotions is seen as disruptive to social harmony and can cause embarrassment to the individual and those around them.
2.4.2 item It is important to maintain a calm and composed demeanor, even in difficult situations.
- rationale:
- Losing control of one’s emotions can lead to rash decisions and damage relationships.
2.4.4 item Showing strong emotions is a sign of weakness and can be seen as a lack of self-control.
- rationale:
- Emotional restraint is valued as a sign of maturity and strength of character.
2.4.5 item It is important to prioritize the needs of the group over individual emotions.
- rationale:
- Maintaining social harmony and group cohesion is seen as more important than expressing individual feelings.
2.5 Conflict Avoidance
📖 Seeking to avoid direct confrontation and resolving conflicts through indirect means.
2.5.1 item Saving face is essential to maintain harmony.
- rationale:
- Koreans believe that losing face can lead to feelings of shame and humiliation, which can disrupt social order and cause conflict.
2.5.2 item Conflict should be resolved through indirect communication.
- rationale:
- Koreans prefer to avoid direct confrontation and instead use indirect methods such as hints, suggestions, or third-party mediators to resolve conflicts.
2.5.4 item Harmony and consensus are more important than individual opinions.
- rationale:
- Koreans value group harmony and strive to maintain a sense of collective unity, which can lead to a tendency to suppress dissenting opinions or avoid disagreements.
2.5.5 item Emotional expression should be restrained and controlled.
- rationale:
- Koreans believe that displaying strong emotions in public can be disruptive and disrespectful, and they emphasize the importance of maintaining composure and self-control.