The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success: "Nunchi"

The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success

With “nunchi,” all you need is your eyes, your ears and a quiet mind.

By Euny Hong, The New York Times, 11/02/19

Ms. Hong is a journalist who writes about Korean culture. 

Credit...Hannah K. Lee

I was born in the United States and raised in an English-speaking household. My parents spoke Korean with each other — it was great for secret conversations — but not with me and my siblings. Nonetheless, some Korean words were impossible to escape.

One of the first I learned was “nunchi”— literally translated, “eye-measure.” Nunchi is the art of sensing what people are thinking and feeling, and responding appropriately. It’s speed-reading a room with the emphasis on the collective, not on specific individuals. It might be the most important word I ever learned.

Click here to see the entire article by Euny Hong in The New York Times

From The New York Times, 11/02/19