Hello, monk. I was just holding back laughter in the middle row, and now I feel like I need to catch my breath to ask a serious question. I am currently a college student majoring in media design. Due to the nature of my field, I live a life where I have to engage with platforms like YouTube and Instagram. Lately, when I look at the comment sections on these online platforms, I see comments from people who seem to be around my age, and their comments appear to be so lowbrow. There are comments that are fundamentally misogynistic, as well as ones that say things like, Let's not help others; I don't want to be the one who loses out. Earlier, the person next to me mentioned their struggles, and seeing our generation so focused on appearances makes me feel disillusioned as a fellow twenty-something. Humans are said to be selfish creatures, but at the same time, we are also altruistic beings. How is it possible?

These days, it seems that our generation only shows selfish behavior and takes pleasure in the misfortunes of others. I truly cannot understand this world. Today, as I came here, I helped someone who was struggling because their card balance was empty by swiping my card for them. I don't see helping others as a burden, but how should I view my generation, which considers helping others a burden? As the monk mentioned earlier, if there are things I cannot do, I should just let them flow. However, if letting things flow leads to a society that hates and does not help each other, is that truly the natural order of the world? I would like to hear the monk's thoughts on this. It all depends on the perspective from which you view it. When a person has one million won, someone with one hundred thousand won may see them as wealthy, while someone with ten million won may not.

If you look at it from the perspective of someone who has wealth, it seems that a poor person becomes one. Similarly, in human relationships, it depends on the criteria you use. If you look at it from a hundred years ago, nowadays, not just the young people in their twenties, but even those in their sixties are seen as lacking in manners. However, if you use the twenties as a standard, you might consider those in their thirties to be somewhat decent people. The same applies to those in their twenties; as the younger generation grows up and reaches their thirties, they may also be evaluated as somewhat decent based on that standard. This evaluation arises from the criteria you set. It can be seen as selfishness, but how you define the criteria can change the perspective. The same person can be on the left side of the spectrum with one set of criteria and on the right side with another. Therefore, when people in their fifties or sixties make such statements, it can be understood as their perspective. However, it is not accurate to say that all people in their twenties are selfish.

It's hard to make a definitive statement that people in their 40s are more selfish. If we compare them to children around the age of nine, we might see a different picture in 20 years. When these kids reach their 20s and 30s, we could find that they are in a very good state. This is what I mean. So, while we might say that certain behaviors are selfish, it's important to recognize that this is part of the culture of their generation. Not everyone in their 20s is the same; there are individuals who differ from the norm. For example, there’s a singer in their 20s who constantly sings old songs. Even though they are young, they mimic the behavior of people in their 70s or 80s. Such individuals are not necessarily strange. Nowadays, we often talk about luxury brands, but on the other hand...

There are people who, even at the age of 70 or 80, prefer things that younger kids like. It's not uncommon to find such individuals; it's a story that exists everywhere. The mainstream changes depending on the environment in which one grows up. So, why do today's younger generations seem selfish? From the perspective of adults, it's a problem that arose because they raised only one child. There is no other reason. When parents have only one child, they focus all their attention on that child. They do everything the child wants. However, I heard a statistic recently that for every eight adults, there is only one child. Why is there only one child? Because there are two parents, right? But on one side, there are grandparents, and on the other side, there are also grandparents. Just with this, how many people are there? Six, right? And then there is one child on this side and one child on that side. So, the child...

There are eight adults and one child, and they all focus on that one child. But how can they understand? Until the child enters kindergarten or elementary school, they get everything they want. This is how it is. They learn Korean just like they learn the language. But when they go to school, suddenly they are told that it’s not a movie, and what can they do? If they go there and find that things don’t go as they wish, it will take time for the child to adapt. So, to put it simply, if you gather children who are around seven or eight years old, or even five or six, it’s like gathering seven puppies. They all do as they please. It’s difficult to line them up. It’s not that the child has a problem; it’s just that they can only behave that way because they were raised like that. So, there’s no problem at all.

Is this a good thing? No, it's not about being good or bad; it's about the phenomenon itself. If there are people commenting negatively, it doesn't mean that everyone in their twenties feels that way. There are also those who think differently. For example, when you hear about spinal correction or surgery, all you see are comments saying that surgery is bad. Only those negative comments are visible, while other positive ones are buried. Why is that? Out of ten people, nine might have had successful surgeries, but only the negative comments are highlighted. This can lead to the thought that maybe surgery shouldn't be done at all. 

Now, if someone treats patients for free, you will only see positive comments there because those who didn't pay won't comment. However, even if one out of ten people gets sick, they will still comment negatively. So, it becomes a cycle where only the negative experiences are shared.

종만, you commented that only good things are posted under Beom-su's comments, but there are also bad ones. The reason why good comments are more likely to appear is that Beom-su is excellent, right? No, it's because he does this without taking money, so there’s no reason to post bad comments. If he were charging 100,000 won for this, would bad comments appear? Of course, they would. If he were to take 100,000 won and create a different persona, then that would happen. Evaluating society as a whole based on that is a flawed way of thinking. This kind of mindset is currently skewed to extremes. If you look at YouTube, when you search for monk, you only see Beom-soo, right? You keep watching and watching, and it seems like he is the only monk in the world. And people think that this is all there is to Buddhism. Do you understand?

I went to a temple because I like Buddhism, but it was completely different. I was shocked and angry, but that’s the Buddhism that exists in the world. Do you understand? So, conservative people always think that’s the way it is, while progressive people—it's hard to say whether they are truly progressive or conservative. It’s a bit scary to use those terms. It has become a group that is difficult to categorize as either conservative or progressive. From my perspective, the issue isn’t with those in their twenties; it’s the mindset that criticizes those in their twenties, which is the same mindset that they themselves have. Thank you. So, I realize that many people in their twenties have this tendency, many teenagers have this tendency, and many people in their seventies have this tendency. It’s not right to say that all people in their seventies are conservative. If you look into it, you’ll find that over sixty percent might be, but that means thirty percent are not. Right? So, does that mean everyone in their thirties is progressive?

There is a tendency, or rather, a progressive inclination of about 70%, which means that 30% do not share that view. However, not everyone falls into that category; there is a strong tendency compared to other generations. One could say that if the bias of a generation is a problem, then one should strive for balance. If one evaluates things too subjectively, it can lead to extremism and hatred. Among men, there are some who harbor hatred towards women, and among women, there are some who harbor hatred towards men. However, there are more men who actually like women rather than hate them. Do you understand? Those who hate are actually a minority. But since this becomes an issue, those individuals tend to congregate together. For instance, if you gather homosexuals in downtown Seoul, there are quite a few thousand, right? If you only look at that, it might seem like all people in South Korea think of homosexuality in that way.

That's not true. There are people like that, and because they face discrimination, they think they are a minority when they gather together. But when they come together, they realize there are many of them. That brings comfort. In this world, there are always people who go abroad, and when you visit a hospital, it's not just sick people who are there. Not all people in South Korea are sick, and not everyone travels all the time. There are people like that, and this tendency is a bit stronger among those in their twenties. You should see it this way: if you have an open mind towards the world, you will develop the ability to embrace such people. Thank you.

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