Practical virtues are essential for success.
I’m not quite sure how today’s students are being educated in Korea, but I recently saw a TV segment showcasing a foreign school’s classroom environment. The teaching style in that classroom was vastly different from what I experienced growing up. In that classroom, every student had the opportunity to speak during lessons. Teachers and classmates exchanged their thoughts and ideas in various directions. Most of the learning assessments were based on writing down one's thoughts. The most striking feature was the high school graduation exam, where students were asked to express their personal views on various life questions.
In contrast, in my schooling years in Korea, there were hardly any opportunities for speaking in class. Most of the time, the teacher did all the talking, and asking questions during lessons was sometimes seen as rude. Learning was evaluated primarily through closed-ended exams with predetermined answers. Even when preparing for university entrance exams, writing essays seemed more about mastering the technique rather than expressing genuine thoughts.
Looking back 20 years, I recall wanting to speak during class. I wanted to discuss my thoughts with the teacher and was curious about what my peers thought. However, speaking during class was often seen as disruptive. I knew the ecosystem well, so I kept my thoughts to myself. But despite my efforts, I often blurted out spontaneous ideas in class. I wanted to share my thoughts, but more often than not, my attempts were met with indifference.
During my school years, I wasn’t the most outstanding student. I did well in both studying and playing games but never stood out. Interestingly, I started to gain recognition in my professional life. I didn’t so much “stand out” but rather, I was discovered by others who saw my potential. I realized that my strength lay in expressing myself through speech and writing. I wasn’t necessarily great at speaking or writing beautifully, but I was good at conveying my meaning in my own way.
Why, during my school years, did I simply listen to the few authority figures? Korean education focused on listening and reading, essential skills for those in subordinate positions who follow instructions. The education system I experienced heavily emphasized reading comprehension, memorization, and listening skills, almost as if training me to be a skilled follower. Was I being educated to be a good subordinate?
On the other hand, the foreign educational system I saw on TV and the one I experienced during my exchange year in the U.S. were quite different. In that system, every subject required at least one essay per week, and most classes were centered around students’ questions and shared thoughts. The first month was incredibly tough for me, as writing an essay in English felt like a huge challenge, especially since I struggled even in Korean.
Both the foreign education system I saw on TV and the U.S. college education I experienced valued writing and speaking. Of course, listening and reading are important too, as reading widely helps you write well, and good listening helps you speak well. I firmly believe that the ability to express one's thoughts, whether through speaking or writing, is crucial—not just for becoming a leader, but for making meaningful contributions to making the world a better place.
I encourage my colleagues to always have opportunities to speak up. If they want to change something or make suggestions, I urge them to write it down. However, many of my colleagues find this difficult, not because they can’t do it, but because they feel it’s not a part of Korean cultural virtues. Even younger employees, with about a ten-year age gap, seem to have similar experiences. This leads me to think that education hasn’t changed much even in recent years.
In the workplace, practical skills are greatly influenced by one’s ability to speak and write. Reading and listening may help in understanding the tasks at hand, but to truly succeed, planning and communication are necessary. Planning and communication are, after all, continuous acts of speaking and writing. Those who are accustomed to solving predefined problems often struggle when faced with open-ended ones. They excel at memorizing answers but have never created their own. Creating new solutions is a highly creative and challenging endeavor. I have witnessed many people achieving unexpected success by stepping outside of their comfort zones.
I believe that the Korean education system should shift its focus from input to output. Practical virtues should be valued more than abstract virtues. I hope future generations will be free-spirited individuals, always willing to speak up and express their ideas.