Published : Dec. 28, 2016 - 16:16
Some ways of practicing humility, as suggested by Mother Theresa, include speaking as little as possible of one’s self, accepting insults and injuries, accepting being slighted, forgotten and disliked, and last but not least, being kind and gentle -- even under provocation.
None of these are easy, but in a bizarre way, one of Korea’s most powerful businessmen not only put such behavior into practice, but did it to the extreme.
Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and heir apparent to the Samsung Empire, stole the show by portraying a remarkably humble side of himself during a series of parliamentary hearings this month over Samsung’s role in the Choi Soon-sil scandal.
Even in the face of the fiercest questioning -- some of which bordered on pure insults -- Lee showed a demeanor that was more than collected. He was gentle, modest and submissive. And in some ways, this was understandably so, for he was being grilled on the role of his company in one of the most controversial political scandals rocking modern Korea.
But of course, most of it was a show. Even a small slip of the tongue could have had enormous repercussions for a case that has yet to be closed.
Evidence is still being revealed -- but little of it is truly damning -- and so there was no reason to provide anything that could be used against Lee or Samsung. It seems like Lee was coached quite well by his legal team.
“Lee Jae-yong did the smartest thing anyone could do in his shoes. He played dumb,” said Kim Byoung-joo, head of KL&P, a political consultancy in Seoul.
Lee also played on the widespread public sentiment that is reticent to embrace those who appear to be smarter, richer or just better off than them.
To the ordinary public, Lee Jay-yong has it all. He has a wealthy father, is not bad-looking, rubs shoulders with global business leaders and will one day inherit Korea’s largest company, which is also the world’s leading maker of smartphones.
And to see a man of his status and wealth being whittled down to a laughing stock in public must have been quite satisfying.
Online postings about the parliamentary hearing proved this point. They started out hostile, criticizing the man, ridiculing him and engaging in all kinds of character assassination. But the nature of the postings soon began to shift, with many questioning his behavior and asking what is wrong with the heir to Korea’s most powerful enterprise.
Toward the end, the tone turned softer, with some even calling Lee “adorable” and “winsome” for being so, well, so dumb.
Regardless of whether Lee’s attitude was a sham or not, it seems that many Koreans would rather side with a rich idiot than a brainy heir. To find something lacking in someone who seems to live in luxury in all aspects of life is, in a way, cathartic.
The system also works vice versa. Choi, the notorious presidential confidante who allegedly played the president like a puppet, might have gotten away with whatever wrong she committed had her daughter not been involved. If Choi had been smart enough to keep her child out of the matter and away from a life of privilege, Koreans may not have minded as much.
Having family members or close friends step into one’s inner circle to get heavily involved in government affairs and policies is not unheard of. It happens all over the world, including the most advanced countries. Family and friends are the only people that top politicians can trust, and they often depend on them for sound advice and knowledge. In some ways, Choi played this role for President Park Geun-hye.
But when personal privileges are doled out, particularly those involving children, it can become the ultimate trigger of public fury, especially in Korea where people consider the well-being of their kids next to sacred. Seeing someone receive undeserved benefits for their kids is enough to drive even the most apolitical person to Gwanghwamun for a candlelight vigil.
The bottom line, in my view, is how much you know about what makes people tick. In order to run a business or a country, it’s all about how much you understand -- why people will support you, and why they won’t. Everything requires a strategy and that strategy should be based on an understanding of people.
Due to the complexity of modern-day society, life in many ways, resembles a war. And when you master the art of war, you will win more battles and have a bigger chance of being successful in your pursuits. Of course, this is all assuming that your heart is in the right place.
By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)