Pride hurts the most

Pride hurts the most

We often say, "People are assets," or "People hold the answer." Yet, while believing we can understand and manage others, we often don't know ourselves well. In recent years of rapid economic growth, people have been assessed based on productivity, seen merely as measurable tools. We try to manage them solely through money, without even knowing what kind of beings they are. To run an organization that achieves excellent results, it's crucial to understand the true essence of human psychology.

A few years ago, four students from KAIST, Korea's top engineering university, committed suicide one after another. As you know, admission to KAIST requires exceptional talent. These promising students, with wealth and fame promised in their future... Why did they jump?

And it's not just them. Modern Group Chairman Chung Mong-hun, South Korea's top actress Choi Jin-sil, her younger brother and singer/actor Choi Jin-young, and the pioneer of the Hallyu wave, actor Park Yong-ha, all gave up on life midway through their journey. Why did they make such decisions?

The answer lies in human psychology. The basic psyche of humans is narcissism. Narcissism is derived from the name Narcissus, a youth from Greek mythology who loved and longed for his own reflection in a lake, ultimately dying by drowning and becoming a flower. It's about self-esteem.

Even students educated with the same type of textbook have different ways of thinking. This is because they judge and perceive information egocentrically.

One of America's greatest presidents, Lincoln, was challenged to a duel by a politician before he was elected president. At that time, Lincoln was famous for his sharp tongue. His opponent, who felt his pride had been wounded by Lincoln's sarcasm, challenged him to a duel. This incident led Lincoln to a profound realization. "A person's pride is like their life." After that, Lincoln became a great politician, carefully choosing his words.

The phrase "Three inches of tongue may stab one's heart" warns against hurting someone's pride. The one who ruins fate and strikes the throat is the pride of the person who feels insulted by those words. Most of the problems in the news arise when this self-esteem is hurt. The most vulnerable point of a person is not their neck but their pride.