Episode 92: The Great Wall of Individualism ft. Jeong (Concepts)

This week Jun and Daniel dive deeper into the concept of "jeong”, building on past discussions about social circles and neighbors. They stand-up a working definition of jeong as the “blurring of boundaries between individuals”– in a sense, the ultimate form of collectivism– and explore how it can help explain key cultural differences between Korea and the US, from friendships to the workplace. Our hosts discuss how modern Korean society is transitioning from traditional collectivist values to include more Western individualist ideals, and the challenges therein. Through personal anecdotes, they examine how jeong works in various contexts including family relationships, peer groups, and professional settings, while debating the merits and downsides of boundary-free relationships.

If you're interested in understanding why Koreans might feel betrayed by seemingly friendly American interactions, why Korean social circles tend to be smaller but deeper, and how hierarchy can complicate jeong-based relationships, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! This episode also features a fun unboxing segment of Minnesota goodies from a podcast listener, a thoughtful exploration of whether individualism is "cold" or "healthy” depending on the cultural context, and insights into spaces where Korean society seems to be evolving to incorporate clear boundary setting.

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