We learn from each other. We learn not only from our parents and teachers, but also from our children and students. As a father, I try to convey my experiences to my children whenever necessary, but at the same time, I often learn from them as well. And as a professor, I not only teach my students what I know, but also learn from them in and out of the classroom. My children and students often enlighten me with their fresh insight and open my eyes to new things.

One thing I like about my profession is that I can constantly learn by reading books and discussing them with my students and colleagues. In fact, the pleasure of learning is always much greater than the pleasure of teaching. And learning makes you more knowledgeable and wiser. To his disciple who was ashamed of asking people about something he did not know, Confucius said, “You have two choices. You can be a wise man for the rest of your life by choosing to be a fool for a few minutes. Or you can remain a life-time fool by choosing to be a wise man for a few minutes. Now, which one would you choose?”

These days, so many Korean students go abroad to learn from and in other cultures. A few weeks ago, I met a Korean professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, who told me, “You can see Korean students everywhere on campus nowadays.” Indeed, I frequently bumped into Korean students and heard the Korean language here and there on campus. Looking at them, I was quite pleased and certain that Korea’s future would be bright, as so many young Koreans are now abroad, opening their eyes to the world and broadening the horizon of their minds.

Learning is primarily reciprocal and complementary. For example, in the early 20th century, Asia learned from the West some crucial, indispensable things for modern society ― democracy, science, judicial systems, modern architecture and so forth. Since the late 20th century, the West has also tried to learn something from the East ― Zen Buddhism, meditation, yoga, tai chi, martial arts and so on.

Lately, I have noticed that some radical changes are taking place in the United States, especially in terms of Americans’ interest in other cultures. One of the most conspicuous changes in today’s American society is the prevalence of ethnic restaurants. Anywhere in America, you can easily find not only Chinese and Japanese restaurants, but also Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Persian, Mexican, and Korean restaurants. And you can see those ethnic restaurants always bustling with people who can use chopsticks more dexterously than even some Asian youngsters who are clumsy about chopsticks but are very good at using a knife and a fork.

Another noteworthy change in America is that Americans now seem to prefer hard floor to carpets. For the past few weeks, I have visited a number of American homes and found hardwood floors instead of wall-to-wall carpets not only in the living room but also in the bedrooms. “Carpets are not good for your health,” said an American professor to me. “Rugs are dusty and smell bad as they’re getting old.” Hardwood is not necessarily Asian and yet, I have lived on hardwood floor all through my life in Korea.

Another remarkable change is that quite a few Americans prefer not to wear shoes inside their homes. I notice some of them are barefoot and others wear slippers at home. “It is unhygienic to wear shoes indoors,” an American yuppie confessed. “Especially on the hard floor, shoes make noise and are uncomfortable. So we’ve decided to take off our shoes inside our home, following the Asian way.”

I have also noticed that some American houses now have the heated flooring, just like the Korean ondol. “It’s a new trend,” a Korean-American realtor told me. “And people like it a lot. Americans find it very nice and comfortable.” Then the real estate salesperson added, “These days, Americans seem to learn many things from Asia, such as the small size of car, the free Internet phone, or the merits of a house facing the south.” According to her, Americans traditionally tended not to care which direction a house faces. As the cost of energy is skyrocketing, Americans are now beginning to consider the merits of a south-facing house.

Lately, Asian mothers seem to emerge as the role model for some American mothers who are interested in how Asian mothers raise their children. Perhaps this was why Amy Chua’s book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” and Shin Kyung-sook’s “Please Take Care of Mom” were able to remain on the New York Times bestseller list for some time. At the same time, overprotective Korean mothers should also learn how American mothers teach their children to be independent and creative.

Indeed, learning from each other is mutually beneficial. When the East and the West can learn from each other, we will be able to achieve what Whitman called, the “rondure complete.” 

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon, a professor of English at Seoul National University, is editor of the literary quarterly “21st Century Literature.” ― Ed.