Korean anxiety and psychological evolution

• Published date: 25 February 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Korean people (and humans more broadly) evolved to inhabit a certain environment. Our physical, psychological, cultural, and spiritual lives were shaped by, and for, an agricultural existence. The many myths, legends, and tales of yore spoke of seasons, weather, the waning of time, of heroes and villains. The people were well suited to such an environment and thus the language, the food, and the politics grew around them, giving rise to the Korean nation as seen through its culture and art. It was 'the' Korean way of life. Until, that is, it wasn't.

From the farm, we moved to cities and a whole host of new professions previously impossible and unthinkable emerged, brokers, bloggers, break-dancers, and BJs. But how can a people that evolved for one environment over countless centuries then quickly adapt to an entirely different one? It is obvious that such transformation of the physical environment will bring with it huge psychological costs. Not everyone will be suited to the new world into which they are thrust without permission or request.

While it might appear blasphemous to some to compare us to animals, consider a mass transformation of a species' habitat. Take 100,000 cats from the city of Seoul and slap them somewhere in the desert of Africa or the jungles of South America. Many will perish. Some, hopefully, will survive. Those that do will become adaptive; their descendants further adaptive. After time, like the fish that no longer realizes it is swimming in water, the cats will not be able to comprehend life any other way. This is not to suggest that the loss of any human is acceptable or desirable. We're not getting quite into Nietzsche territory here. But it is simply to draw attention to a possible cause of what is known locally as 'bulan' (anxiety).

Bulan

Most modern analysis depicts mental health conditions as a) individual and b) to be treated through paid treatments and chemicals. This is important for two reasons and is probably linked to the rise of neo-capitalism as a controlling political, economic, and ideological system. This system atomizes us. Paradoxically, it does so through simultaneous nearness and remoteness. Nearness because we live in claustrophobic conditions, shoulder to shoulder and knee to knee with those on the bus and subway. Remoteness because we are but impersonal NPCs in another person's story. Alienation and sociability are two sides of the same coin.

The remoteness is great for watching your own Netflix, choosing your...