I haven't watched that particular channel, but I did live in Korea for 5 years... a lot of what you said rings true... it has good and bad aspects just like anywhere else.
Best example I can always come up with to highlight the core cultural difference:
About 10 years ago there was a horrific ferry disaster in South Korea. A lot of people, including students, died when their boat sank. The reason so many people died is that they stayed below decks even as water was rushing in because the captain (who later escaped) told them to remain below decks.
If that happened in the west, the loss of life would have been significantly less because westerners aren't going to blindly listen to authority. As soon as the boat started tipping or water started coming in people would be running to the top decks and demanding answers.
Just consider how much of that ethos you can tolerate. Even as a foreigner I was expected to defer to authority in the workplace.
I will echo the sentiment about 'not being friends with the usual Japanese' (Koreans in my case). Foreigners will never be accepted into the culture and you just... accept it. You certainly can't change it.
I saw this weird English teacher on YT, and he's like "why am I poor? Why will no one hire me?" And I'm like you don't fit in. Japan has no place for your fuckin quirkiness. Leave.
I met some amazing people from all six continents in my time there. But the worst -- the absolute worst -- people I've ever encountered were the "Seoul foreigners."
I made the mistake of living there one year -- none of my coworkers spoke or could even read Korean, and had no interest in learning. They would go to Hongdae (college party neighborhood) 5-7 nights per week and hang out with other foreigners and pretend they're cultured.
But to another, interesting point -- my wife had a Japanese colleague who was here in the US doing research for a year. We didn't see each other often but we were like best friends when we did, and I think it's because we each had that shared experience of living in a foreign culture.
The biggest problem I had when I worked in Asia (S-Korea and Japan) was the absolute deference to authority. I am a law-abiding citizen, but my work often forces me to confront local police or the DA office (security related). There are many steps I can take in escalating order and I usually manage to get a fair conclusion.
In Asia this is different. People immediately assume you are in the wrong, the moment any figure of authority tells them to. Doesn't matter how outlandish or unreasonable their claims are. You are "rocking the boat" and therefore you need to change or yield. Personally I find this unbearable, but it seems to work for them.
Adding to your point about being a foreigner, I have to say that this wasn't much of a problem. It comes with additional responsibilities, but also with quite a bit of leniency. People in those countries aren't dumb. They understand that you grew up under different circumstances and that you need time to adjust or probably never manage to 100% emulate their lifestyle. Outright discrimination was somewhat rare, though I can only speak as someone who is as visually European as you can get. Maybe they treat other ethnicities more harshly.
In summary, those countries are beautiful, clean and safe. Absolutely worth a visit or a short stay. BUT you will hate living there, if you have any inkling of being a distinct person with certain rights. You are either a happy little cog or you will be miserable.
What I've observed is that any country that is industrious and controlled by American military will become this over worked rank system culture. They will follow every law and not question it to a T. In Japan, I watched people do everything the police said, and then do what they wanted on the next street over. I also watched traffic get stopped because an older man or woman just crossed the street when they dang well pleased. The most accurate character in the Mulan animation is the grandma.
If math homework was done, students looked at manga, read about cars, and the teacher did nothing. The law was followed, and that was all they required.
If I had to deal with people who thought I was foreign and was scum, I acted dumb until they left. If they tried to speak English to me, I just spoke German or Spanish.
All that said, when my parents moved to Spokane, we were really shocked that the police arrived in force any time we called them. It never happens in other parts of Washington, especially Yakima where they lived previously.
Certain US citizens (blacks) would instantly riot if they had to live under the rules that exist there.
I'm seeing some simple solutions.
Racially homogeneous populations appear to be required for high trust societies. Or at the very least certain racial demographics cause said high trust societies to detonate.
During the summer of love I saw people throwing that quote around and I told one of them “you notice how people who are harmed by the riots don’t throw around that quote”. I’ve lost the respect and admiration I once had for MLK Jr but the rest of that quote calls riots counter productive. What infuriates me is that you have politicians whining about how there are no jobs in their area and I’m like why would I invest in an area with a high likelihood of rioting and no backing from the cops
Martin Luther King Jr. would purposely place children on the edges of his protests, because he knew that the fire brigade would be called in to use their high-pressured hoses to disperse them. He knew that it would make the headlines, and he was right. It turned public sentiment in his favour.
He purposely placed children at risk of severe injury he expected to happen, simply because it was politically-expedient.
I haven't watched that particular channel, but I did live in Korea for 5 years... a lot of what you said rings true... it has good and bad aspects just like anywhere else.
Best example I can always come up with to highlight the core cultural difference:
About 10 years ago there was a horrific ferry disaster in South Korea. A lot of people, including students, died when their boat sank. The reason so many people died is that they stayed below decks even as water was rushing in because the captain (who later escaped) told them to remain below decks.
If that happened in the west, the loss of life would have been significantly less because westerners aren't going to blindly listen to authority. As soon as the boat started tipping or water started coming in people would be running to the top decks and demanding answers.
Just consider how much of that ethos you can tolerate. Even as a foreigner I was expected to defer to authority in the workplace.
I will echo the sentiment about 'not being friends with the usual Japanese' (Koreans in my case). Foreigners will never be accepted into the culture and you just... accept it. You certainly can't change it.
Razorfist did a video of the Sewol disaster. It's astounding how authority figures will send innocent people to their deaths if it means saving face and covering their asses.
lol
I saw this weird English teacher on YT, and he's like "why am I poor? Why will no one hire me?" And I'm like you don't fit in. Japan has no place for your fuckin quirkiness. Leave.
I met some amazing people from all six continents in my time there. But the worst -- the absolute worst -- people I've ever encountered were the "Seoul foreigners."
I made the mistake of living there one year -- none of my coworkers spoke or could even read Korean, and had no interest in learning. They would go to Hongdae (college party neighborhood) 5-7 nights per week and hang out with other foreigners and pretend they're cultured.
But to another, interesting point -- my wife had a Japanese colleague who was here in the US doing research for a year. We didn't see each other often but we were like best friends when we did, and I think it's because we each had that shared experience of living in a foreign culture.
The biggest problem I had when I worked in Asia (S-Korea and Japan) was the absolute deference to authority. I am a law-abiding citizen, but my work often forces me to confront local police or the DA office (security related). There are many steps I can take in escalating order and I usually manage to get a fair conclusion.
In Asia this is different. People immediately assume you are in the wrong, the moment any figure of authority tells them to. Doesn't matter how outlandish or unreasonable their claims are. You are "rocking the boat" and therefore you need to change or yield. Personally I find this unbearable, but it seems to work for them.
Adding to your point about being a foreigner, I have to say that this wasn't much of a problem. It comes with additional responsibilities, but also with quite a bit of leniency. People in those countries aren't dumb. They understand that you grew up under different circumstances and that you need time to adjust or probably never manage to 100% emulate their lifestyle. Outright discrimination was somewhat rare, though I can only speak as someone who is as visually European as you can get. Maybe they treat other ethnicities more harshly.
In summary, those countries are beautiful, clean and safe. Absolutely worth a visit or a short stay. BUT you will hate living there, if you have any inkling of being a distinct person with certain rights. You are either a happy little cog or you will be miserable.
What I've observed is that any country that is industrious and controlled by American military will become this over worked rank system culture. They will follow every law and not question it to a T. In Japan, I watched people do everything the police said, and then do what they wanted on the next street over. I also watched traffic get stopped because an older man or woman just crossed the street when they dang well pleased. The most accurate character in the Mulan animation is the grandma.
If math homework was done, students looked at manga, read about cars, and the teacher did nothing. The law was followed, and that was all they required.
If I had to deal with people who thought I was foreign and was scum, I acted dumb until they left. If they tried to speak English to me, I just spoke German or Spanish.
All that said, when my parents moved to Spokane, we were really shocked that the police arrived in force any time we called them. It never happens in other parts of Washington, especially Yakima where they lived previously.
I have never had the misfortune to (need to) call the police on myself.
I have had the police called on me.
I guess there's two sides.
michael fay
I'm seeing some simple solutions.
Racially homogeneous populations appear to be required for high trust societies. Or at the very least certain racial demographics cause said high trust societies to detonate.
Then you keep squashing the riots with an iron hammer
Lookat dis fuggin raysis ass cracka, talkin' 'bout squashin' riots. Sheeeeit, riots is the voice of da unheard, bitch!
During the summer of love I saw people throwing that quote around and I told one of them “you notice how people who are harmed by the riots don’t throw around that quote”. I’ve lost the respect and admiration I once had for MLK Jr but the rest of that quote calls riots counter productive. What infuriates me is that you have politicians whining about how there are no jobs in their area and I’m like why would I invest in an area with a high likelihood of rioting and no backing from the cops
Riots are the voice of the unheard because nobody gives a shit what your cause is if you're acting like a rabid dog that needs to be put down.
Martin Luther King Jr. would purposely place children on the edges of his protests, because he knew that the fire brigade would be called in to use their high-pressured hoses to disperse them. He knew that it would make the headlines, and he was right. It turned public sentiment in his favour.
He purposely placed children at risk of severe injury he expected to happen, simply because it was politically-expedient.
Sounds like paradise
unless you didn't want to get jabbed
if the choice is between questionable vaccines and feral niggers I'll take the vaccines
Move there and find out
Yes, black ppl shit would not fly here