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The Power of Nunchi: The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success
Nunchi (noon-chee): eye measure. The subtle art of gauging other people's thoughts, and feelings in order to build trust, harmony and connection.
___________________________
Why did she get promoted? Why does the party only start when he walks in? And why do they always catch the bartender’s eye? It sounds like they’re all experts in the art of nunchi, even if they don’t know it.
Nunchi is the guiding principle of Korean life, but anyone can use it: it’s the art of reading a room, your way of understanding what other people are thinking and feeling, and using that to get ahead.
Korean parents believe that teaching their children nunchi is as important as teaching them to cross the road safely. With great nunchi, it feels like the world is on your side. Without it, you might get hit by something you never saw coming.
If you’re thinking ‘not another Eastern fad, Marie Kondo already made me throw half my clothes away’, don’t worry: it’s not a fad. Koreans have been using nunchi to overcome slings and arrows for over 5000 years.
The great news is that anyone can hone their nunchi, immediately: all you need are your eyes and ears. In everything, from finding love to excelling at work, improving your nunchi will help you to open doors you never knew existed.
Improve your nunchi, improve your life.
___________________________
Why did she get promoted? Why does the party only start when he walks in? And why do they always catch the bartender’s eye? It sounds like they’re all experts in the art of nunchi, even if they don’t know it.
Nunchi is the guiding principle of Korean life, but anyone can use it: it’s the art of reading a room, your way of understanding what other people are thinking and feeling, and using that to get ahead.
Korean parents believe that teaching their children nunchi is as important as teaching them to cross the road safely. With great nunchi, it feels like the world is on your side. Without it, you might get hit by something you never saw coming.
If you’re thinking ‘not another Eastern fad, Marie Kondo already made me throw half my clothes away’, don’t worry: it’s not a fad. Koreans have been using nunchi to overcome slings and arrows for over 5000 years.
The great news is that anyone can hone their nunchi, immediately: all you need are your eyes and ears. In everything, from finding love to excelling at work, improving your nunchi will help you to open doors you never knew existed.
Improve your nunchi, improve your life.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2019
449 people are currently reading
3801 people want to read
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November 19, 2019
TL;DR: Anybody truly well-versed in Korean culture will never write a book like this. Stop looking for the next big exotic self-help concept from the ~mystical East~, Just live your life. Euny, stop profiting off your heritage that you barely have any understanding.
First of all, let me preface this by I have an authority to say in this matter since I am born and raised in Korea, relocated to US at age 19, and now a dual citizenship holder of ROK and US. The author is a second generation ethnically Korean person who was born in US and spent most time of her life in Paris. It shows in her writing- her superficial understanding of Korean culture rubs off throughout. Many anecdotes she drags into the book AREN'T KOREAN IN ORIGIN. Some Korean concept were used in such awkward, out-of-place context that it made me cringe(actually, that's the whole book).
The biggest red flag is the rose tinted view the author has about Nunchi. This alone shows she has NEVER actually lived in Korea.
Nunchi is not 'emotional intelligence'(oh how I wish Koreans actually had this!). Nunchi is a Machiavellian framework used to pressure people below their social ranks to cater passive aggression and be silent in front of injustice. It's not 'something good if you have it'. You either have Nunchi or you are a social castaway. Nunchi is immensely heavy social pressure to be cunning yet spineless in interpersonal relationship imposed upon every Korean as a form of stress. It's not a product of high-context culture, it's a product of a culture that lacks ways of healthy communication and freedom of expression. Lack of Nunchi is often used to justify bullying, social segregation and discrimination in Korea. If Nunchi is truly a secret to happiness and success, why is suicide rate in South Korea so high? Answer me please, Euny.
I don't want this stupid social principle imposed on American people, I don't want this stupid social principle imposed on ANYONE! Us Koreans have achieved many wonderful things in our course of history, but nunchi is surely not something we're proud of. Want to live like a scared dog for rest of your life? Because that's what Nunchi basically is!
Most of all, I was flabbergasted at her reaction towards criticism. The author was being criticized on Twitter by ACTUAL KOREANS and she was saying 'Koreans should stop tearing each other down and unite', and then went on to criticize how any other diasporic people unite and be successful but Koreans do the opposite(gasp!)- despite herself never experiencing first generation diasporic Korean life and how tight we can be. She has no idea that Koreans might be criticizing her book because we are genuinely embarrassed of this concept? Euny not being able to speak a lick of Korean was comedy gold too. She thinks Korean publisher acquiring rights to translate her book is some sort of triumphant trophy of recognition given to her by Korean people. Well, she doesn't know laughing at outsider's atrocious understanding of Korea is our favorite pastime.
Korea is not this mystical country full of Confucian emotional geniuses. We're actually the opposite of that. And Euny, you're never gonna be like the person who introduced Sisu or Wabi-Sabi to the Western world. Nunchi sucks and please stop profiting on your heritage that you barely understand. Thanks for exoticizing us and please eat more Kimchi.
First of all, let me preface this by I have an authority to say in this matter since I am born and raised in Korea, relocated to US at age 19, and now a dual citizenship holder of ROK and US. The author is a second generation ethnically Korean person who was born in US and spent most time of her life in Paris. It shows in her writing- her superficial understanding of Korean culture rubs off throughout. Many anecdotes she drags into the book AREN'T KOREAN IN ORIGIN. Some Korean concept were used in such awkward, out-of-place context that it made me cringe(actually, that's the whole book).
The biggest red flag is the rose tinted view the author has about Nunchi. This alone shows she has NEVER actually lived in Korea.
Nunchi is not 'emotional intelligence'(oh how I wish Koreans actually had this!). Nunchi is a Machiavellian framework used to pressure people below their social ranks to cater passive aggression and be silent in front of injustice. It's not 'something good if you have it'. You either have Nunchi or you are a social castaway. Nunchi is immensely heavy social pressure to be cunning yet spineless in interpersonal relationship imposed upon every Korean as a form of stress. It's not a product of high-context culture, it's a product of a culture that lacks ways of healthy communication and freedom of expression. Lack of Nunchi is often used to justify bullying, social segregation and discrimination in Korea. If Nunchi is truly a secret to happiness and success, why is suicide rate in South Korea so high? Answer me please, Euny.
I don't want this stupid social principle imposed on American people, I don't want this stupid social principle imposed on ANYONE! Us Koreans have achieved many wonderful things in our course of history, but nunchi is surely not something we're proud of. Want to live like a scared dog for rest of your life? Because that's what Nunchi basically is!
Most of all, I was flabbergasted at her reaction towards criticism. The author was being criticized on Twitter by ACTUAL KOREANS and she was saying 'Koreans should stop tearing each other down and unite', and then went on to criticize how any other diasporic people unite and be successful but Koreans do the opposite(gasp!)- despite herself never experiencing first generation diasporic Korean life and how tight we can be. She has no idea that Koreans might be criticizing her book because we are genuinely embarrassed of this concept? Euny not being able to speak a lick of Korean was comedy gold too. She thinks Korean publisher acquiring rights to translate her book is some sort of triumphant trophy of recognition given to her by Korean people. Well, she doesn't know laughing at outsider's atrocious understanding of Korea is our favorite pastime.
Korea is not this mystical country full of Confucian emotional geniuses. We're actually the opposite of that. And Euny, you're never gonna be like the person who introduced Sisu or Wabi-Sabi to the Western world. Nunchi sucks and please stop profiting on your heritage that you barely understand. Thanks for exoticizing us and please eat more Kimchi.
Read
December 4, 2019I had to stop reading.
As far as I can tell, there are two incompatible concepts trying to guide this book. One of them is the author trying to convey the benefits of the subtleties of nunchi, applicable to any part of life, based on her personal experience as a second-generation emigrant. The other is a non-Korean U.S. publisher's desire to capitalize on Marie Kondo's success by offering another Asian-influenced self-help book for an American audience. American self-help books, by definition, have to be positive and upbeat. This is fundamentally foreign to the phenomenon of nunchi and the entire culture that has created the need for it. I don't think it's possible to get a basic grasp of nunchi without understanding that it's often a survival tool for people who have very little power in a highly stratified society. We get glimpses in Hong's text that she personally understands this point, but in her book, she de-emphasizes it to the point of inaccuracy. My guess is that this is because it doesn't fit into the formula for an American self-help book.
Nunchi is a real thing and there are many beautiful things about it. But you won't understand it from a book that had to fit into American self-help marketing. If you're a Westerner and you want to absorb the lessons this book is purportedly teaching, you can just work on your ability to "read the room." It's no more exotic-mystical than that.
I won't give a star rating because I don't want to trash a fellow Korean-Western woman, one who went through with a book that had to fit a premise that couldn't work.
As far as I can tell, there are two incompatible concepts trying to guide this book. One of them is the author trying to convey the benefits of the subtleties of nunchi, applicable to any part of life, based on her personal experience as a second-generation emigrant. The other is a non-Korean U.S. publisher's desire to capitalize on Marie Kondo's success by offering another Asian-influenced self-help book for an American audience. American self-help books, by definition, have to be positive and upbeat. This is fundamentally foreign to the phenomenon of nunchi and the entire culture that has created the need for it. I don't think it's possible to get a basic grasp of nunchi without understanding that it's often a survival tool for people who have very little power in a highly stratified society. We get glimpses in Hong's text that she personally understands this point, but in her book, she de-emphasizes it to the point of inaccuracy. My guess is that this is because it doesn't fit into the formula for an American self-help book.
Nunchi is a real thing and there are many beautiful things about it. But you won't understand it from a book that had to fit into American self-help marketing. If you're a Westerner and you want to absorb the lessons this book is purportedly teaching, you can just work on your ability to "read the room." It's no more exotic-mystical than that.
I won't give a star rating because I don't want to trash a fellow Korean-Western woman, one who went through with a book that had to fit a premise that couldn't work.
January 2, 2021
Salah satu buku non fiksi terburuk yang saya baca selama beberapa tahun terakhir.
Buku ini berusaha mengangkat tentang Nunchi, semacam indra keenam yang dikembangkan oleh orang Korea untuk membaca keadaan dan memahami apa yang dipikirkan dan dirasakan oleh orang lain. Contohnya apabila kita masuk ke dalam suatu ruangan, kita harus memperhatikan apakah raut wajah orang lain di sana sedang bahagia atau sedih, hingga apa yang mereka maksud saat mengatakan ya dan tidak.
Dan menurut penulis, hal ini adalah kunci sukses yang dimiliki orang Korea hingga bisa menjadi negara paling kaya, paling keren, dan paling maju dalam hal teknologi di planet ini.
Sayangnya, untuk mendukung hipotesis tersebut, penulis hampir tidak menghadirkan data, penelitian, cerita, hingga anekdot yang ilmiah sama sekali. Ia hanya bergantung pada cerita-cerita khayalan dia sendiri, yang seperti sudah ditentukan awal dan akhirnya. Sungguh sebuah pendukung yang tidak terpercaya untuk mengajukan sebuah hipotesis.
Ia yang begitu mengagung-agungkan negara Korea pun seperti lupa untuk mengaitkan Nunchi ini dengan masalah yang banyak terjadi di Korea Selatan, seperti terkait angka bunuh diri yang tinggi, bullying, hingga budaya patriarki yang mengakar. Ia justru bersikukuh atas pendapatnya bahwa dengan Nunchi, budaya Korea bisa melampaui budaya barat yang individualis.
Ironis, penulis justru menggunakan banyak cerita fiksi dari barat untuk menunjukkan karakter Nunchi. Dengan seenaknya ia pun mengatakan bahwa Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, dan Jeff Bezos bisa sukses karena mereka mempunyai Nunchi. Ini pun membuat saya kembali bertanya-tanya, budaya siapa Nunchi ini?
Karena apabila dipikirkan lebih lanjut, penjelasan Euny Hong tentang Nunchi tidak ada bedanya dengan tata krama, empati, dan kecerdasan emosional untuk menentukan suasana hati lawan bicara kita, sesuatu yang sudah kita kenal sejak dahulu.
Belum lagi apabila ditambah beberapa Red Flag lain tentang buku ini, seperti akun fiktif yang memberikan review dan bintang 5 di Goodreads, hingga komentarnya di Twitter yang seperti menggunakan trik nasionalisme untuk menghindar dari diskusi.
Buku ini pun mendapat banyak review di beberapa media online baik dalam maupun luar negeri. Namun para media tersebut seperti luput dari sesat pikir yang terjadi, dan seperti hanya menuliskan narasi promosi dari buku ini. Membuat penasaran ada apa di balik buku ini sebenarnya?
Buku ini berusaha mengangkat tentang Nunchi, semacam indra keenam yang dikembangkan oleh orang Korea untuk membaca keadaan dan memahami apa yang dipikirkan dan dirasakan oleh orang lain. Contohnya apabila kita masuk ke dalam suatu ruangan, kita harus memperhatikan apakah raut wajah orang lain di sana sedang bahagia atau sedih, hingga apa yang mereka maksud saat mengatakan ya dan tidak.
Dan menurut penulis, hal ini adalah kunci sukses yang dimiliki orang Korea hingga bisa menjadi negara paling kaya, paling keren, dan paling maju dalam hal teknologi di planet ini.
Sayangnya, untuk mendukung hipotesis tersebut, penulis hampir tidak menghadirkan data, penelitian, cerita, hingga anekdot yang ilmiah sama sekali. Ia hanya bergantung pada cerita-cerita khayalan dia sendiri, yang seperti sudah ditentukan awal dan akhirnya. Sungguh sebuah pendukung yang tidak terpercaya untuk mengajukan sebuah hipotesis.
Ia yang begitu mengagung-agungkan negara Korea pun seperti lupa untuk mengaitkan Nunchi ini dengan masalah yang banyak terjadi di Korea Selatan, seperti terkait angka bunuh diri yang tinggi, bullying, hingga budaya patriarki yang mengakar. Ia justru bersikukuh atas pendapatnya bahwa dengan Nunchi, budaya Korea bisa melampaui budaya barat yang individualis.
Ironis, penulis justru menggunakan banyak cerita fiksi dari barat untuk menunjukkan karakter Nunchi. Dengan seenaknya ia pun mengatakan bahwa Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, dan Jeff Bezos bisa sukses karena mereka mempunyai Nunchi. Ini pun membuat saya kembali bertanya-tanya, budaya siapa Nunchi ini?
Karena apabila dipikirkan lebih lanjut, penjelasan Euny Hong tentang Nunchi tidak ada bedanya dengan tata krama, empati, dan kecerdasan emosional untuk menentukan suasana hati lawan bicara kita, sesuatu yang sudah kita kenal sejak dahulu.
Belum lagi apabila ditambah beberapa Red Flag lain tentang buku ini, seperti akun fiktif yang memberikan review dan bintang 5 di Goodreads, hingga komentarnya di Twitter yang seperti menggunakan trik nasionalisme untuk menghindar dari diskusi.
Buku ini pun mendapat banyak review di beberapa media online baik dalam maupun luar negeri. Namun para media tersebut seperti luput dari sesat pikir yang terjadi, dan seperti hanya menuliskan narasi promosi dari buku ini. Membuat penasaran ada apa di balik buku ini sebenarnya?
November 13, 2019
If this book is about social skill coaching, I would give it three stars. However, because of the author's misinterpretation of the meaning and concept of nunchi and the absurd association between nunchi and Korean history and culture based on her limited knowledge and experience, I cannot help but give 1 star. FYI, I am a native speaker of Korean. Nunchi is not a Korean-specific concept. Other cultures may have the concept of reading the air and sensing nonverbal cues, context, or situation although its significance varies more or less depending on culture and a person's level of sensitivity. Also, in Korea, nunchi can be interpreted both positively and negatively depending on usage. Without knowing it, the author attempted to put everything about Korea into her unfounded "nunchi framework." This book may teach you good social skills but misleads the non-Korean readers in learning and understanding Korea. Forget about Korea in this book.
July 26, 2020
Saya membaca versi terjemahan Bahasa Indonesianya. Awalnya saya tertarik dengan konsep nunchi ini sendiri karena saya termasuk orang yang cukup intuitif dalam menilai situasi dan kondisi baik dalam percakapan maupun dalam ruangan. Namun semakin jauh ke belakang, saya merasa buku ini:
- Memang ditujukan untuk orang Amerika Serikat yang menjunjung tinggi individualisme dan kebebasan berbicara. Untuk orang Indonesia sendiri, khususnya mungkin dari suku tertentu, banyak poin di buku ini yang akan membuat kita berkata "Ya masa yang gitu aja nggak peka / harus diajarin sihh?"
- Tidak berhasil memenuhi ekspektasi sub judulnya "Rahasia Hidup Bahagia dan Sukses".
- Tidak berhasil menjelaskan asal usul 'nunchi' itu sendiri; apa yang membuat ini eksklusif hanya untuk orang Korea saja
- Agak memaksakan hubungan kesuksesan Korea Selatan dengan nunchi itu sendiri.
- Memang ditujukan untuk orang Amerika Serikat yang menjunjung tinggi individualisme dan kebebasan berbicara. Untuk orang Indonesia sendiri, khususnya mungkin dari suku tertentu, banyak poin di buku ini yang akan membuat kita berkata "Ya masa yang gitu aja nggak peka / harus diajarin sihh?"
- Tidak berhasil memenuhi ekspektasi sub judulnya "Rahasia Hidup Bahagia dan Sukses".
- Tidak berhasil menjelaskan asal usul 'nunchi' itu sendiri; apa yang membuat ini eksklusif hanya untuk orang Korea saja
- Agak memaksakan hubungan kesuksesan Korea Selatan dengan nunchi itu sendiri.
December 10, 2024
The Power of Nunchi by Euny Hong is your Koren secret to Happiness and Success. Nunchi (noon-chee): eye measure. The subtle art of gauging other people's thoughts, and feelings in order to build trust, harmony and connection.
The book talks about how we can use Nunchi in different walks of life to ensure growth and success be it work, love or personal life.
Nunchi is the guiding principle of Korean life, but anyone can use it: it’s the art of reading a room, your way of understanding what other people are thinking and feeling, and using that to get ahead.
The book has some great examples and insights which we would have never even thought of. I am definitely taking great lessons from this one and will try implementing the same in my daily life to achieve the ultimate power of Nunchi.
The book talks about how we can use Nunchi in different walks of life to ensure growth and success be it work, love or personal life.
Nunchi is the guiding principle of Korean life, but anyone can use it: it’s the art of reading a room, your way of understanding what other people are thinking and feeling, and using that to get ahead.
The book has some great examples and insights which we would have never even thought of. I am definitely taking great lessons from this one and will try implementing the same in my daily life to achieve the ultimate power of Nunchi.
December 20, 2019
"The power of situational awareness: The western secret to happiness and success"
(This could very well be the book title).
I've a keen interest on eastern culture, philosophy and way of life in general, so it was a great disappointment to read this book, My initial enthusiasm soon flopped as I went through the pages, I found myself to a point where I was dragging, struggling to finish the book.
As advertised I hoped to encounter some not well known piece of wisdom, something distinct or traditional. What I found instead was a book full of Western quotations and examples, it was supposed to be about a Korean secret as the title implied, instead the great majority of sayings and piece of wisdom were familiar quotes from Shakespeare, Socrates, Stoic philosophers, and famous novels like Crime and prejudice . What she called Korean secret is actually a few quotes drawn from the forementioned authors and some Buddhist sayings, on the subject of social/situational awareness piled with an overemphasized claim that it is Nunchi, and we Koreans are great at it from the kindergarten.
In addition to the "Not Korean quotes at all" and lack of Korean works on the Nunchi subject(which she claimed is quite Popular but fail to give citations) she used a lot of anecdotes from( you guess right) "not korean in origin" to prove her point throughout the book.
The redundancy in this book was TOP OF THE GAME, the chapters are indistinguishable cause they all say the same thing, sometimes with the same words.
Throughout the book you'll find a lot of "this is the power of the underdogs" or "Remember what I said..."
This is the first time I can remember to rate a book this low.
PS. The book is good if you want to be reminded of how important situational awareness is for your daily life, with a bonus of getting inspired by a few European ancient thinkers.(this is the reason I gave 2 stars ).
(This could very well be the book title).
I've a keen interest on eastern culture, philosophy and way of life in general, so it was a great disappointment to read this book, My initial enthusiasm soon flopped as I went through the pages, I found myself to a point where I was dragging, struggling to finish the book.
As advertised I hoped to encounter some not well known piece of wisdom, something distinct or traditional. What I found instead was a book full of Western quotations and examples, it was supposed to be about a Korean secret as the title implied, instead the great majority of sayings and piece of wisdom were familiar quotes from Shakespeare, Socrates, Stoic philosophers, and famous novels like Crime and prejudice . What she called Korean secret is actually a few quotes drawn from the forementioned authors and some Buddhist sayings, on the subject of social/situational awareness piled with an overemphasized claim that it is Nunchi, and we Koreans are great at it from the kindergarten.
In addition to the "Not Korean quotes at all" and lack of Korean works on the Nunchi subject(which she claimed is quite Popular but fail to give citations) she used a lot of anecdotes from( you guess right) "not korean in origin" to prove her point throughout the book.
The redundancy in this book was TOP OF THE GAME, the chapters are indistinguishable cause they all say the same thing, sometimes with the same words.
Throughout the book you'll find a lot of "this is the power of the underdogs" or "Remember what I said..."
This is the first time I can remember to rate a book this low.
PS. The book is good if you want to be reminded of how important situational awareness is for your daily life, with a bonus of getting inspired by a few European ancient thinkers.(this is the reason I gave 2 stars ).
October 1, 2019
Quite a good and inspiring book to read.
The Power of Nunchi tells the korean secret to happiness and success. I've learned so many things from this book, especially how to understand people and build the trust and connection. There are saying and quotes that I've heard before too.
Let me share with you some of the rules that I feel it can be applied to anyone. It's The Rules of Nunchi. First, empty your mind, Lose your preconceptions in order to observe with discernment. Secondly, manners exist for a reason. Thirdly, be nimble, be quick and last and most importantly, never pass up a good opportunity to shut up. If you wait long enough, most of your questions will be answered without you having to say a word.
One thing that I don't like about this book is some of the 'tips' and the meaning are kind of repetitive.
I still enjoyed reading this book and there are many good tips that can be applied at my work and my relationship with family, friends and family around me.
Thank you Pansing, for sending me a copy of The Power of Nunchi in return for an honest review.
The Power of Nunchi tells the korean secret to happiness and success. I've learned so many things from this book, especially how to understand people and build the trust and connection. There are saying and quotes that I've heard before too.
Let me share with you some of the rules that I feel it can be applied to anyone. It's The Rules of Nunchi. First, empty your mind, Lose your preconceptions in order to observe with discernment. Secondly, manners exist for a reason. Thirdly, be nimble, be quick and last and most importantly, never pass up a good opportunity to shut up. If you wait long enough, most of your questions will be answered without you having to say a word.
One thing that I don't like about this book is some of the 'tips' and the meaning are kind of repetitive.
I still enjoyed reading this book and there are many good tips that can be applied at my work and my relationship with family, friends and family around me.
Thank you Pansing, for sending me a copy of The Power of Nunchi in return for an honest review.
January 8, 2020
Great as reminder about "reading a situation before speaking" but otherwise its kinda like common sense but very repetitive. Also dismisses western logic cos "westerners are loud and empathetic and cant read a room" so take this eastern asian approach where "be quiet, don't show emotions or empathy, and be indirect when trying to say you want/don't want something"
October 11, 2019
Among other things, I liked the distinction between empathy and understanding.
December 26, 2019
As I read the first chapter of this book, learning that nunchi is Korean for "reading body language," I thought, great, I'm done. I'm an expert on body language; what can Hong possibly teach me? And yet I found myself first laughing at Hong's acerb wit, and then getting hooked on the book in spite of myself. She's a brilliant observer on the many differences among national cultures, and her position as both native and transplant in both Asian and Western countries gives her deep insight into how these cultures work. So nunchi is much, much more than reading body language. This is a profound concept and a great place to start in understanding Asian culture -- and getting better at surviving and thriving in the West. A book that delivers much more than the title suggests and well worth the reading. Just her analysis of the idea of empathy in the West and where it goes wrong is worth the price of admission.
February 17, 2021
Disclaimer: I receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I unfortunately did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
It's definitely more bias of course considering its a Korean Secret to happiness.
Being constantly compared to western culture, of course its a bit bias and its not fair how the culture is brought up differently hence people are not adapt to certain scenarios.
I feel like the tips and narrative are very repetitive which can get quite boring.
Being a Korean secret to success, it does not have much Korean study side of it to back up the evidence or tips.
I enjoyed the short quizzes and examples.
Being in a diverse country and brought up with a bit of Asian and Western culture, I think its important to have a balance of both.
I unfortunately did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
It's definitely more bias of course considering its a Korean Secret to happiness.
Being constantly compared to western culture, of course its a bit bias and its not fair how the culture is brought up differently hence people are not adapt to certain scenarios.
I feel like the tips and narrative are very repetitive which can get quite boring.
Being a Korean secret to success, it does not have much Korean study side of it to back up the evidence or tips.
I enjoyed the short quizzes and examples.
Being in a diverse country and brought up with a bit of Asian and Western culture, I think its important to have a balance of both.
October 8, 2019
A fantastic little book, packed with precious advice. If only it had existed earlier!
My favourite part: the author gives often hilarious examples of how a lack of nunchi can have far-reaching consequences, even (and especially) unwittingly. I'm sure we can all think of our own examples like that.
The book is easy to read but I recommend re-reading each chapter to make sure you have fully taken everything in.
It will no doubt make an ideal Christmas present!
My favourite part: the author gives often hilarious examples of how a lack of nunchi can have far-reaching consequences, even (and especially) unwittingly. I'm sure we can all think of our own examples like that.
The book is easy to read but I recommend re-reading each chapter to make sure you have fully taken everything in.
It will no doubt make an ideal Christmas present!
December 9, 2019
Tot nu toe het eerste nuttige zelfhulpboek dat ik heb gelezen. Het hielp me mezelf en mijn omgeving beter te begrijpen, en bevestigde heel wat dingen waarvan ik me al bewust was maar waar de verklaring niet voor wist. Een aanrader voor iedereen met een altruïstische en collectivistische ingesteldheid!
January 6, 2020
Very easy to read with some great quips throughout keeping the book light. For those with quick nunchi already, it's a fast read and for those without it provides useful explanations and examples.
January 23, 2020
Umh, this book made me squirm. The basic idea is wonderful, we all should learn to focus on other people and to our surroundings more than to ourselves. But, then comes a huge but. The deductions she makes are unbearable. Like saying that it rains because sun is not shining.
January 16, 2020
Did not know that such thing existed, Nunchi that could be considered (by me) awareness in a superior level, something that most of us use daily (not at the same level of course) without knowing or even thinking about it. Great read, good explanation and full of good examples and resources.
January 27, 2021
Nunchi menurut saya adalah gabungan dari firasat dan impuls diri. Semakin bagus nunchi kita, semakin cepat pula refleks kita terhadap lingkungan sekitar. Buku ini lebih cocok bagi karyawan yg bekerja di kantor.
Walaupun sebagian besar maksud nunchi ini bagus tapi ada beberapa hal yg saya rasa "mengganjal" dan tidak tepat diterapkan jika menginginkan hasil yg cepat. Saya masih gak habis pikir utk apa kita susah payah memahami orang yg omongannya berputar-putar dan gak langsung? Pertama, buang-buang waktu. Kedua, gak faedah juga menebak-nebak isi hati sebenarnya dari ybs (kecuali sekedar iseng mengisi waktu).
Lalu saya merasa kurang tepat bhw orang yg nunchi-nya buruk akan tidak sukses. Elon Musk yg disebut di buku ini sbg memiliki nunchi buruk, sekarang menjadi orang terkaya di dunia, ibu Euny Hong.
Yang saya setujui adalah kita hrs mengasah kemampuan intuisi saya (mungkin krn ini cocok dgn kepribadian ISTP saya sbg "sensor" yg paling "intuitive"). Paling tidak, dgn intuisi yg tepat, kita bisa lolos dari "bahaya" spt salah pilih pasangan, salah bergaul dgn teman, menghindar dari "bencana" dari bos yg memiliki nunchi buruk dsb.
Walau buku ini memaparkan perbedaan nunchi dan empati, saya melihat keduanya banyak kemiripannya juga. Cuma empati itu terkesan "berkorban" utk orang lain, sebaliknya nunchi lebih spt teknik utk beradaptasi dgn cepat. Semakin bagus nunchi seseorang, dia dijuluki "ninja nunchi" krn kemampuannya membaca sikon dan orang dgn cepat (biasanya ini tipe INTJ & INFJ sih). Jadi asahlah dgn baik kemampuan intuisi dan pengamatanmu terhadap sekelilingmu.
Walaupun sebagian besar maksud nunchi ini bagus tapi ada beberapa hal yg saya rasa "mengganjal" dan tidak tepat diterapkan jika menginginkan hasil yg cepat. Saya masih gak habis pikir utk apa kita susah payah memahami orang yg omongannya berputar-putar dan gak langsung? Pertama, buang-buang waktu. Kedua, gak faedah juga menebak-nebak isi hati sebenarnya dari ybs (kecuali sekedar iseng mengisi waktu).
Lalu saya merasa kurang tepat bhw orang yg nunchi-nya buruk akan tidak sukses. Elon Musk yg disebut di buku ini sbg memiliki nunchi buruk, sekarang menjadi orang terkaya di dunia, ibu Euny Hong.
Yang saya setujui adalah kita hrs mengasah kemampuan intuisi saya (mungkin krn ini cocok dgn kepribadian ISTP saya sbg "sensor" yg paling "intuitive"). Paling tidak, dgn intuisi yg tepat, kita bisa lolos dari "bahaya" spt salah pilih pasangan, salah bergaul dgn teman, menghindar dari "bencana" dari bos yg memiliki nunchi buruk dsb.
Walau buku ini memaparkan perbedaan nunchi dan empati, saya melihat keduanya banyak kemiripannya juga. Cuma empati itu terkesan "berkorban" utk orang lain, sebaliknya nunchi lebih spt teknik utk beradaptasi dgn cepat. Semakin bagus nunchi seseorang, dia dijuluki "ninja nunchi" krn kemampuannya membaca sikon dan orang dgn cepat (biasanya ini tipe INTJ & INFJ sih). Jadi asahlah dgn baik kemampuan intuisi dan pengamatanmu terhadap sekelilingmu.
August 22, 2020
Memiliki Nunchi yang cepat adalah jalan ninjaku. Itu yang diinginkan setiap pembaca buku "Nunchi" setelah menghabiskan uraian Euny Hong di buku terbarunya.
Nunchi itu bisa ditafsirkan macam-macam. Ada yang bilang intuisi, naluri sosial, kecerdasan emosional dll. Tapi Euny Hong menggunakah istilah membaca pikiran dan perasaan orang lain. Konon, ini adalah kunci suksesnya orang Korea sampai bisa jadi bangsa yang demikian maju seperti sekarang, meski dulu punya sejarah yang lumayan “apes” karena berulangkali dijajah.
Euny Hong sekali lagi menyibak kekuatan bangsa Korea dan menyajikannya pada khalayak pembaca. Diceritakan dengan menarik. Berbagai kuis dan ceritia di situasi nyata sungguh mengasyikkan. Podcast Kepo Buku di edisi #BacaSamaSama merekomendasikan Nunchi berada di koleksi bacaan anda selanjutnya. Dengar episode lengkapnya di https://kepobuku.com/?p=505
Nunchi itu bisa ditafsirkan macam-macam. Ada yang bilang intuisi, naluri sosial, kecerdasan emosional dll. Tapi Euny Hong menggunakah istilah membaca pikiran dan perasaan orang lain. Konon, ini adalah kunci suksesnya orang Korea sampai bisa jadi bangsa yang demikian maju seperti sekarang, meski dulu punya sejarah yang lumayan “apes” karena berulangkali dijajah.
Euny Hong sekali lagi menyibak kekuatan bangsa Korea dan menyajikannya pada khalayak pembaca. Diceritakan dengan menarik. Berbagai kuis dan ceritia di situasi nyata sungguh mengasyikkan. Podcast Kepo Buku di edisi #BacaSamaSama merekomendasikan Nunchi berada di koleksi bacaan anda selanjutnya. Dengar episode lengkapnya di https://kepobuku.com/?p=505
December 7, 2019
There are a lot of teaching and examples to understand Nunchi. I have to practice them to acquire a quick Nunchi.
November 7, 2020
** Books 131 - 2020 **
3,5 dari 5 bintang!
Sebenarnya penasaran sama judul buku ini kenapa buku ini membahas membaca pikiran dan perasaan orang lain? ternyata setelah dibaca menarik ya isinya untuk diriku yang ENFP (Intuisi dan Feeling) memakan porsi besar kayaknya akan semakin bagus kalau diasah nunchinya.
Nunchi sendiri adalah ilmu melihat membaca kondisi yang ada didalam ruangan atau sekitar dari gerak gerik atau bahasa tubuh orang yang didalam sehingga bisa mempengaruhi bagaimana kita bersikap apakah diruangan itu pantaskah kita berkata X atau sebaiknya bersikap Y. Buku ini memuat bagaimana kita mengasah nunchi yang kita miliki dan menariknya kenapa aku baru mengetahui ya kalau ada ilmu yang seperti ini.
Hati-hati yang belum membaca buku Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen karena dibuku ini ada sedikit spoiler hehe kalau kalian gak masalah sama spoiler silakan lanjut membaca buku ini
Terimakasih Gramedia Digital Premium atas peminjaman bukunya!
3,5 dari 5 bintang!
Sebenarnya penasaran sama judul buku ini kenapa buku ini membahas membaca pikiran dan perasaan orang lain? ternyata setelah dibaca menarik ya isinya untuk diriku yang ENFP (Intuisi dan Feeling) memakan porsi besar kayaknya akan semakin bagus kalau diasah nunchinya.
Nunchi sendiri adalah ilmu melihat membaca kondisi yang ada didalam ruangan atau sekitar dari gerak gerik atau bahasa tubuh orang yang didalam sehingga bisa mempengaruhi bagaimana kita bersikap apakah diruangan itu pantaskah kita berkata X atau sebaiknya bersikap Y. Buku ini memuat bagaimana kita mengasah nunchi yang kita miliki dan menariknya kenapa aku baru mengetahui ya kalau ada ilmu yang seperti ini.
Hati-hati yang belum membaca buku Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen karena dibuku ini ada sedikit spoiler hehe kalau kalian gak masalah sama spoiler silakan lanjut membaca buku ini
Terimakasih Gramedia Digital Premium atas peminjaman bukunya!
November 5, 2021
Can't say I am a big fan of the book, but I admit that it could be interesting/useful to some people. I think that to people who are not closely familiar with Korean culture and society the book would be an interesting read. Might be even an eye-opening thing. Yet people with close experience of Asian society will find it boringly general. To culturally experienced readers would advise to skip directly to chapter 5(found it most useful) and then maybe to the conclusion. Depending on personal needs/interests info in chapters 6-9 could provide some interesting thoughts. What I disliked the most was the tone in which she wrote. It felt like she herself was breaking rules number 1 and 6 (maybe even 7 )(see chapter 5). The comparison between nunchi and Western values looks just terrible to me personally.(not that it cannot be made, but the way it is done should have been heavily edited) Arguments made in that part and examples are extremely weak.
And again, I believe the book would gain more value if skillfully edited. Without it my recommendation would be further:
if you know what nunchi is and has cultural experience with it -> move on to chapter 5 and start from there then maybe give a chance to chapter 4
if nunchi is new to you -> well... reserve your judgment on it for later, cuz I don't think it does justice in explaining and introducing the concept.
And again, I believe the book would gain more value if skillfully edited. Without it my recommendation would be further:
if you know what nunchi is and has cultural experience with it -> move on to chapter 5 and start from there then maybe give a chance to chapter 4
if nunchi is new to you -> well... reserve your judgment on it for later, cuz I don't think it does justice in explaining and introducing the concept.
March 16, 2023
If you don't know about nunchi, this is a good book. You learn how to do it, but as someone who does know nunchi, this was a little too repetitive for me.
June 29, 2023
I think listening to this book is better than actually reading it … I think that Nunchi could be translated to البديهة in Arabic more so when a good Nunchi means a quick Nunchi as in سرعة البديهة. The idea might not be novel, but seeing it all the way to its practicalities is a good lesson in cultural awareness and learning great communication skills from other backgrounds.
December 5, 2021
I found this book extremely condescending, tone-deaf, and obnoxious, which is ironic for a book supposedly all about *not* being tone-deaf and obnoxious. While there was a good blend of informative writing, anecdote, and tips for how to apply nunchi in your life, I just did not enjoy the experience of reading this book at all. While some other reviews criticise nunchi in itself, I don't have the knowledge or experience to do so, but as an Asian-American I *can* say that through the writing style, the author did seem to exoticize Asian (specifically Korean, but also generally Asian) culture. It felt like one of those annoying East vs. West commentaries, and those annoy the hell out of me. Both Eastern and Western (and specific) cultures have pros and cons, and neither is the answer. There is always some kind of trade off. Using my specific experience as a Chinese-American: Yes, America has a lot of partisanship and misinformation etc., but is it good to be censor-happy with state-controlled media in China? Yes, China education is much harder and rigorous, and arguably 'better', but is it worth the high suicide rate? These are all things to consider. I think this book ignores all the nuance. Also, it said the phrase 'read the room' WAYYY too many times for my comfort, and the overall way the author addressed 'people with no nunchi' rubbed me the wrong way. Yes, it might be helpful to be able to pick on clues like that, but it's not an excuse to treat people as inferior to others. In addition, some of the points were contradictory -- 'it isn't all about you' is a point the author mentions at some points, but then you're expected to know everything about someone else when they don't say it?? Yes, there are some basic social cues you should pick up, and no, people are not obliged to tell you everything especially if it's personal, but some things are definitely better said directly. That's why communication issues in relationships exist, people. We can't all rely on indirect clues all the time.
February 7, 2020
Mish mash of other anti self-help books
Part Subtle art of not giving a Fuck, part Daily Stoic, part pop Zen philosophy. Ms. Hong mines her personal experiences extensively to draw a blueprint for how people should act using the old trope of 'Ancient Asian Secrets' just repackaged under a more specific label of 'nunchi' I enjoyed her last book but this one was one that is vastly out of her depth.
Also, I found it definitely 'nunchi' lacking that she repeatedly uses the phrase 'nunchi ninja' when ninja is a Japanese word and then simultaneously mentions the brutal Japanese occupation of Korea in the same book.
Part Subtle art of not giving a Fuck, part Daily Stoic, part pop Zen philosophy. Ms. Hong mines her personal experiences extensively to draw a blueprint for how people should act using the old trope of 'Ancient Asian Secrets' just repackaged under a more specific label of 'nunchi' I enjoyed her last book but this one was one that is vastly out of her depth.
Also, I found it definitely 'nunchi' lacking that she repeatedly uses the phrase 'nunchi ninja' when ninja is a Japanese word and then simultaneously mentions the brutal Japanese occupation of Korea in the same book.
December 22, 2019
While I liked the concept of observing people before interacting, I felt some of the advice was manipulative and although, the advice did seem like it would lead to workplace advancement, I felt it was dishonest.
December 31, 2019
Interesting book with highlights on Korean concept of nunchi in different contexts. It introduces the difference between nunchi and empathy, I would recommend it as an easy read book to get to know more about the Korean culture.
May 11, 2020
I got so sick of the words "nunchi ninja" being repeated every ten seconds. Seems like the book is aimed at middle-aged American business people and not at all relevant for anything outside of that. Having read this I am both less happy and less successful
October 9, 2019
I love Euny’s writing. She teaches traditional Korean concepts in a way that’s hilarious, insightful, and relevant to all.
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