Voices of the Era v4.0
A platform bridging academic theories and real-world issues.
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The Convergence of Science and Spirituality
In the past, humanity sought to explain phenomena occurring in the natural world through religions such as shamanism and totemism. They worshiped natural objects, and by offering sacrifices and doing their best for those things, they wanted to avoid the disasters of great nature that would befall them; this is also the beginning of the religions that exist today. These religions eventually develop into religions that believe in a God who created the natural world and religions that believe in gods who rule over natural phenomena. Religion refers to a cultural system that resolves the suffering of human life and pursues the ultimate meaning of life through belief in God, a supernatural absolute being, or power. As can be seen from its etymology, religion is based on trust in a supernatural absolute being, even if it is not called God. These days, science is emerging as a new boundary of religion. The reason science is drawing attention as a religion is because science proves natural phenomena and gives answers to them. In other words, science, which proves the natural world, is the supernatural existence.
World-Class Excellence: The Necessity of Rigorous Discipline
Recently, soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo set a record—the first in human history—of 900 goals. Growing up under a father addicted to drugs and alcohol and a mother who worked as a cleaner, he spent a childhood that was not very well-off. He could not mingle with his peers because he was poor, but he started soccer through the pure joy he felt when kicking a ball. Like other players, his effort truly transcends imagination. According to his former Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale, he was the player who arrived at the training ground first and remained there last. To become a world-class figure like Ronaldo, not only in sports but also in other fields, an effort that no one else can do is required. Such effort is not just a problem of one's own. A unique desire to become world-class can create such effort, but most people cannot achieve the effort worthy of a world-class name on their own. Because one cannot achieve such effort alone, help from those around them is necessary.
The Merit of Fairness vs. The Power of Connections
Personal Connections Everywhere Personal connection (In-maek) refers to the ties formed between people in fields such as politics, business, and academia. Looking only at the meaning, it seems like just a bond between people. However, in modern society, these personal connections are often used as a means to trample on fairness and crush the opportunities of many people. Then, are these connections a means for success? Or are they an obstacle that hinders the growth of talented individuals? In our society, personal connections are so powerful that there is almost nothing that cannot be done through them. For example, there is the case of Minister Choo Mi-ae's son. This case is a story that happened during the military service of Minister Choo Mi-ae's son. At that time, fellow soldiers serving with him said, "I wish my mom was Choo Mi-ae too," showing how severe the corruption was. Looking into the case, he did not return even after his leave ended, and there were many other military-related solicitations. Do such things happen to ordinary soldiers? Not at all.
Why do people regret?
People often view regret as a negative emotion, but research suggests that it plays a crucial role from an evolutionary perspective. Regret is an important emotion that allows humans to reflect on their actions and make better decisions in the future. From a tanevolutionary standpoint, regret is not a negative thing; it's a universal human experience. This capacity to imagine alternative scenarios enables humans to navigate complex social environments, avoid risks, and ultimately form cooperative groups. According to Harari's gossip theory, humans use gossip to share information and strengthen social bonds, as seen in how emotions like regret may have helped foster group cooperation. The ability to create fiction has helped humans to survive. For example, when you hear a rustling sound in front of the bush, only humans can think there might be a beast and go around the bush. The merit of making fiction works is in surviving and creating a community. In nature, humans are one of the weakest species. Humans do not have strong teeth like tigers, yet they do not have long and fast limbs like chimpanzees. The critical ability for humans to survive is to build community through the ability to create fiction. The community lets them help each other and share their stuff. They formed a smaller community by backbiting others. It enabled stronger bonds between groups. Ingroup cohesion arises from the exclusion of outgroups. In conclusion, regret is a powerful tool that has played an essential role in shaping human behavior and social dynamics. By allowing individuals to reflect on past decisions and imagine better outcomes, regret helps guide future behavior and facilitate learning. This reflective process, combined with human ability to create shared fiction, has been essential to the formation of a strong and collaborative society. Just as storytelling and gossip strengthened social bonds, regret has served as a mechanism for self-development and social cohesion. By allowing individuals to predict the consequences of their actions and make more informed decisions, regret has helped humanity not only survive but thrive in complex social environments. Regret is a natural part of cognitive processes that move toward better choices, stronger communities, and ultimately greater empathy and cooperation. Therefore, regret is an adaptive feature that reflects human evolutionary success as a social species rather than purely negative emotions.