Looks or Ideas?

               In Korean society, it is not the idea that matters. Success and popularity are often determined by their looks. Koreans are heavily biased. From the beginning, people judge others by their looks. If the person is pretty or handsome, he or she will leave a good impression. If the person is ugly or fat, he or she will leave a bad impression. This impression may not change regardless of their good personality or ideas. This is very apparent in celebrity society in Korea. Even though the actors have the ability and the idea, they may not be able to appear on the television for a long time. When the actors are pretty or handsome, they will be casted for many programs including drama and show programs even if they do not have the ability or the idea.

               However, this is not true in American society. American society promotes success by ideas. This is why Steve Jobs studied even though he does not look like one of those super models who look like sculptures. He had the ideas. He first created iPod and as the CEO of Apple, he prospered the company. If a handsome (or pretty) person wanted to succeed in America but did not have the ideas for it, he or she would never be able to do it. Sooner or later the person would have to give up the idea of succeeding in America and try to go to Korea and maybe that person will have the chance to succeed.

               Although I am a Korean, I have lived in Saipan (American territory) for eight years and am influenced heavily by American point of view. Still, I have some Korean ideas as well, so I am kind of in between. Sometimes, I agree with the Koreans, and sometimes I agree with the Americans. In this case, I am on the American’s side. Judging people by their looks was one thing Koreans all did, and I was used to this for 10 years of my life in Korea. When I came to Saipan, I realized that that wasn’t the norm here. In Korea, appearance is very important. This is why plastic surgery became so rampant in Korea. People judge others not only by their look but also by their clothes and what they use. If they wear expensive clothes that have names, they will be looked upon as the idols. If they wear clothes that are bought from any shops on the street, they will be classified on the lower pyramid. Women are extreme, because they even classify people by what kind of cosmetics they use. For men, they judge others and their ability by what car they own and drive.

               I think that people’s success should not be determined or even influenced by their looks. Their ideas should be the ones being considered not anything else. If they are brilliant and they have the ideas that are worth succeeding, they should be able to succeed. If people’s looks determine their success, no one will try to work hard to become brilliant. Instead, they will start doing plastic surgery like Koreans to look prettier so that they can be judged highly by others.