[Deputy Director's Column] The Virus of Hate, and the General Election

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] When there is plenty of water, the bottom is not visible. Only during drought does the height, terrain, and texture of the bottom become apparent.

Jos? Saramago's novel Blindness brutally confronts the true nature of humans when all conditions of life collapse. Survival and desire roam like fireballs, and words like morality, altruism, or love ironically become objects of disgust. Civilized life only exists under the premise of adequate sunlight and food supply.

Claude L?vi-Strauss, known as the father of modern anthropology, saw 'debt' at the bottom of the act of giving, or gift-giving. Simply put, receiving a gift feels good, but it also creates the feeling of 'I should reciprocate.' This is similar to remembering that if someone buys you a drink, you should pay next time. Gift-giving creates a sense of debt and leads to repeated exchanges. In many clubs, the president paying for the dinner is also a way to maintain authority. It is bittersweet that even altruistic acts are analyzed as being based on selfish intentions.

With the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the issue of hatred has surfaced. The dictionary definition is dislike and hatred. Fear of others who threaten one's safety overflows beyond exclusion and isolation into hatred.

Is this too dark? Of course, it is foolish to understand the world and humans by a single keyword. Humans themselves are a universe.

A pregnant woman approaches her dying husband. The doctor urgently shouts, "Do not come close. He is now a mass of radiation contamination." The woman does not listen. She cries, holds his hand, and kisses him. The husband was a firefighter. This is from Svetlana Alexievich's Voices from Chernobyl.

Safety is the most precious value. It is natural that how effectively quarantine measures are implemented during an epidemic is key to safety. However, we must also be wary of the virus of hatred that frequently arises beneath this. This is a condition for a sustainable society.

Meanwhile, it is the season of politics. In Korean society, hatred is one of the words most easily paired with politics, and this is largely due to politics itself. Nevertheless, hatred and exclusion cannot bring about positive change. Democracy and suffrage are blessings built on a bloody history. The April general election is approaching. We need choices that can cool down politics inflamed by hatred, even just a little.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.