As we know the Korean people are very competitive, the society is based on the realitivization of results. True, this is in great part the reason why Korea became a leading industrial country, this is how it could fight poverty. But there are obvious side-effects, too...

I have already told you about the diligence of Korean workers, described the 10-12 hour working days, and so forth. Even though I see the mechanisms that make them work so much I also feel a kind of 'pity' for them. Much work and no fun makes Jake a dull boy. Isn't that true?

But, you know, I think that adults are adults, they know what the trade-off is about. Poor kids, on the other hand, do not have much choice. It already starts in kindergarten, I guess. Most games are competitions. Winners get rewarded, losers feel ashamed. Korean kids are socialized to compete with their fellows. When they start school parents already try to enroll them to the 'best' school. What do they mean by 'best'? No doubt: the school that has the highest reputation, the school that achieved the best results compared to other schools...

Childhood is not about fun or play. It is the time to prepare for competition. Lot of stress is imposed on the little girls and boys. They have to prove to their parents that they will be able to 'beat' the others. Relative performance is all that counts here...

Later, when the boy will give the first kiss to the girl, he wouldn't ask "Do you love my kiss?" Instead, he would ask "Do you love my kiss more than any other kiss before?"

Anyway, today I learned that even non-performance is considered a good performance when made relative. How? Listen to this story...

When a kid goes to primary school there is no exam, so it is not allowed to decide on whom to admit based on (relative or any other) performance. So, they draw a lot on whom to admit to the school. For this lottery, they invite one parent of each child to draw a ball from a pot. Picture this: parents line up in front of the pot. Everybody is excited... Yes, it is a matter of luck, but the chances are like 1:6 or less.

As a father (or mother) you are standing in the line and you know it will depend on you if your child gets into the good school or not. And even you try to convince yourself that it is not an exam, you are getting more and more nervous. Then, it is your turn. You feel for the ball, grab it... but decide to fall it back... and grab another. Then you pull it out...

Yes!!! It is a red ball, so she is admitted! Other parents look at you, and you feel they envy you. You go home, and your wife hugs you as if you saved a life... And by the end of the day, even if you did not accomplish anything, you did not use your talent, you became a hero.

This is how it happened to my professor. This is how non-performance is still admired... Sad story or funny? I could not decide, yet.