단상斷想

The dichotomous thinking in Korean society should be understood not merely as a result of the destruction of tradition brought about by a devastating modern era, but in a deeper historical context. The nominalistic thinking formed by the influence of Neo-Confucianism in the Joseon Dynasty, the hostile confrontation structure strengthened through the Japanese colonial period and the division system, and the simplified judgment criteria adopted for efficiency in the process of rapid growth have all worked together to create today's dichotomous consciousness. However, we don't have time now and are too ignorant to start questioning the philosophical contradictions of our ancestors, which are criticized in modern times. Even in a situation where time and intelligence are inversely proportional, the world is watching Koreans' tastes and actions. Rather than being satisfied with peripheral stimulation by being good at wearing and eating, it is time to look back at the fundamental constitutional problem.

The Korean War and the division system provided a historical context in which clearly distinguishing between "us" and "them" was a matter of survival. It is a history etched in the bones, a constitution, of people who were originally one body and one mind, living well enough, being divided in families, relatives, and clan villages. The thought patterns formed in these extreme situations continued even in peaceful times, and the habit of judging complex realities with simple dichotomies became ingrained throughout society. They are in such a hurry that they don't care about the process, and they only want results and conclusions similar to others. If intelligence is low, it can slowly deteriorate and slowly recover, but Koreans, whose compensation psychology for trauma is at play, tend to do things quickly, so they are on a rapid downward spiral. It means that they are completely broken in all spiritual and civilizational qualities such as cultural awareness and morality.

In 21st-century Korean society, dichotomous thinking appears in various forms. In the political sphere, there is extreme opposition between progressives and conservatives, in the social sphere, generational and gender conflicts, and in the economic sphere, dichotomous divisions of success and failure are representative. These divisions go beyond simple classification problems and develop into a zero-sum game logic that completely excludes and denies the other party. Dichotomous thinking is also deeply rooted in the education field. Clear distinctions between correct and incorrect answers, hierarchical evaluation systems, and dichotomous hierarchical consciousness of good and bad universities instill in students the habit of judging complex realities simply. This leads to a pattern of thinking that approaches complex social problems with black-and-white logic even in adulthood. We, the victims, are hurting ourselves.

The media environment also plays a role in reinforcing dichotomous thinking. The media ecosystem, which favors sensational and simple messages to increase clicks and views, simplifies complex issues into a dichotomy of pros and cons. Social media algorithms further exacerbate this tendency, trapping users in 'echo chambers' of homogeneous opinions. This benefit is attributed to the media and politics, and the public becomes more isolated in the idiot box.

Korean society has achieved remarkable technological progress at an astonishing rate, but this technological development has not led to an improvement in the consciousness level of its members. This is a predictable law of nature. The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley. Rapid growth promises rapid degeneration, and moreover, politics was driving a wedge into a history of alternating between dictatorship and half-dictatorship. As the people became the masses, and the masses degenerated into the public for consumption, wasn't it a foregone conclusion that Koreans with lead weights attached would suffer a loss of humanity?

Even in a situation where smartphones and the Internet have become commonplace and artificial intelligence has become a reality, people's ways of thinking still remain in the old framework. This imbalance creates several problems.

First, we fail to properly utilize the new possibilities that technological advancements bring.

Second, we approach the complex social problems caused by technology with simple logic and fail to find fundamental solutions.

Third, the benefits of technological advancements are not evenly distributed throughout society, leading to new forms of inequality. For example, the development of artificial intelligence and automation technologies brings about changes in jobs, and simply approaching this with a dichotomy of 'job reduction' or 'job increase' will not lead to a true solution.

What is needed is a new education system, a social safety net, and a new perspective on the balance between work and life that is appropriate for the changing labor environment. However, public education is dead. Stale and outdated minds are blocked by the framework of the teacher system, excluding vivid real-world education. The private education market is like the mafia.

Dichotomous thinking is a major cause of deepening social conflict. Instead of finding solutions through dialogue and compromise, groups with different positions choose strategies to completely subdue or exclude the other party. This makes constructive discussion and agreement difficult, and wastes the energy of society as a whole on unproductive conflict. Creativity is also a victim of dichotomous thinking. True creativity comes from breaking down existing boundaries, but simple and ignorant dichotomous thinking, which tries to clearly distinguish and classify what is known within the scope of knowledge, is creativity within the New Right's view of history. The reality of this society is that it is bound by regulations and frameworks that hinder boundary breaking, producing madmen. One of the reasons why integrative thinking and creative problem-solving skills are lacking in Korean society is also here.

The 21st century is an era of disruption. If the French Revolution of 1789 was a revolution incited by agitation, the present will unfold with the diversity and complexity of individual awakenings verifying past errors. Not a single revolution in modern times has been a spontaneous event. People with developed fingerprint geography and diachronic world history awareness are more responsive to multicultural societies where different cultures and values coexist, cross-border economic activities, and environmental issues that need to be addressed at the global level. Therefore, competition between individuals will not be based on academic performance in public education, but will be divided between those whose genetic superiority, determined at the moment of conception, has developed into a humanistic thinking ability to grasp the essence of the French Revolution, and those who have not.

In that case, those born on the Korean Peninsula cannot approach complex issues with the binary thinking of a cage farming method. Only those outside the Korean Peninsula who can provide immediate answers to issues will stand in the line of true winners. For example, environmental issues cannot be approached simply with the dichotomy of 'environmental protection' versus 'economic development'. The concept of sustainable development goes beyond the view of environment and economy as opposing forces, and presents a new paradigm that harmoniously combines the two. Finding a job in harmony brings infinite possibilities and fun, but 're-box school' lives that are forcibly dragged along are difficult to survive without privileges and corruption. The key is the caregiver's attitude.

It is difficult to survive the 21st century without complex thinking. Also, in reality, where cultural diversity is amplified, we must distinguish between the identity confusion of losing Korean traditional culture and the indiscriminate acceptance of foreign cultures, and create a culture appropriate to the situation. True cultural development cannot be achieved by accepting one and excluding the other. What is needed is the ability to creatively combine various cultural elements to create a new value of 'coexistence and co-prosperity'. The value at this time must be based on morality and ethics that can control the unethical and amoral aspects of artificial intelligence.

In order for Korean society to overcome the limitations of dichotomous thinking, efforts are needed on several dimensions. A change in the education system is key. Education that teaches the dichotomy of correct and incorrect answers in academies does not help to form an individual's identity, let alone destroy their worldview. Beyond that, instead of rote memorization and teacher-convenient scoring, we need to provide experiences that coordinate different opinions through discussion and collaboration, and develop a curriculum that can develop convergent thinking. Of course, this new-style education is impossible for existing teachers. A country where even grade 6 students apply, and teachers and parents steal exam papers regardless of their status, cannot have a future.

It is also necessary to improve the media ecosystem. We must encourage content that deals with complex realities in depth, rather than simple and stimulating messages, and improve citizens' media literacy to develop critical thinking skills. On a social level, institutional mechanisms are needed to promote dialogue and exchange between various groups. Local public institutions should be actively used to revitalize local culture. Education for women, children, and fathers must be restarted, regardless of whether they are in rural areas or Seoul. Local governments should take the lead in re-educating parents about the social costs of infidelity in families with children. Of course, this is possible when the head of the local government is clean. We must develop social mechanisms that allow us to overcome trauma and resolve conflicts constructively through spaces where people from different backgrounds and ideas can meet and talk.

The real crisis facing Korean society is not a lack of technology or capital, but the absence of flexible and complex thinking suited to a rapidly changing era. It is essential to escape from the prison of pre-modern dichotomous thinking that fostered champions of simplistic and extreme agitation, and to look at oneself and the world with a broader and deeper awareness. This cannot be solved by individual changes in perception alone. Changes are needed in education, media, politics, and social systems as a whole to overcome dichotomous thinking and encourage complex thinking. Only then can Korean society truly develop and pass on a better society to future generations.

In the age of technological revolution, the real protagonist is not technology itself, but the human who utilizes it. Therefore, without changes in human consciousness and way of thinking, no technological advancement can lead to true social progress. Now, we must acknowledge the limitations of dichotomous thinking and cultivate more mature and complex thinking.