Why Being Average Feels Dangerous in Korea?

 

Why Being Average Feels Dangerous in Korea?

When I first moved to Korea, I thought working hard was enough.

But here, hard work isn’t special. It’s normal.

In Korea, the average person feels invisible. And being invisible feels dangerous.

Back home — growing up between Fiji, New Zealand, and Hawaii — life wasn’t a competition. You did your best, enjoyed the sunset, played sports, and laughed with your friends. Success wasn’t measured every second. It wasn’t compared every day.

But in Korea, comparison is constant.

Grades. Salary. Apartment size. Job title. English ability. Appearance. Even though you are.

It sometimes feels like standing still means falling behind.

You see students studying until midnight. Workers stay late even when they’re exhausted. People are constantly upgrading — their skills, their resumes, their image. Nobody wants to be “just okay.” Because “just okay” feels risky.

And I started to feel it too.

If I wasn’t improving, was I declining?
If I wasn’t pushing harder, was I losing?

That pressure creeps in quietly.

The truth is, Korea is incredibly impressive. The speed, the ambition, the discipline — it’s powerful. But sometimes I miss the island mindset. The idea that being average is not failure. That life can be lived, not optimized.

Maybe being average isn’t dangerous.

Maybe what’s dangerous is forgetting that your worth isn’t a ranking.

Living here taught me to work harder.

But my island heart still reminds me to breathe.




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