Yeouido, South Korea iv

there's a paradox about east asian absoluteness which i have never been able to understand. where does it come from?

there is no God in east asian. Yes, there is confucius, but during different times, differing influences have exerted some changes in culture. yet, there is an absolute center.

is it the reverence for ancestors? i don't think so. can a man with his limited experiences project an absolute norm on society?

when i observe south korean society, i really don't see any norms. of course, there is the hustle and bustle, the quick, choppy talk, etc but everyone seems to have their walk and their talk. of course, once again, people's opinions seem pretty uniform about various issues.

as always the upperclass are considerably calmer and more polite.

norms are sustained by words, speech, and looks. Don't do that, don't say that, don't... etc. in that sense, it is not any different from my church in America. in fact, most of the time, i cannot tell the difference between yeouido and seoul and new york city except that seoul and yeouido are more intense, have better subway systems, etc.

i found this a little annoying at first, but i understood that things become much more smoother when you follow norms whether they make sense or not. after all, i go to art museums to look at artworks that declare that there is no difference between art and everyday objects. Why don't I just stare at a wall? I go to church and wonder "Is there nothing sacred?"