Map Drawing Exercise by Yangee

Let’s go back to our second class. Prof. Stan ordered us one task, to draw the world map in a few minutes. We began to draw it as much as we could. After finishing it, we compared our own pictures with each other to find out what difference was in them. Of course, notifications we had were different each other. For me, however, different perspective toward method of drawing the map was really interesting. At that time, everyone was given a same question but all of their drawings were totally different. Some students tried to draw specifically, and usually they were able to draw only one country in time; they couldn’t draw the whole world. Others drew the whole map although their drawings were somewhat ambiguous. In this situation, I questioned what affects one’s perspective toward every issue, and what made us approach the same issue in different ways. I believe that there are two big reasons: people have desire to be different or to be unique compared to other people, and environment around them affect a lot too.

First of all, everyone has desire to be seemed differently compared to others to be unique in the society. All people try to resemble each other in the society for a stable life. However, they want to keep their own characters and perspectives individually as well. In the deepest of our mind, we desire to be distinguished from others to feel like living as individuals in the society. For example, in society, we try to behave same like others to collaborate with the society’s people where you are involved in. However, on the other hand, we hope to be distinguished by wearing different clothes, having special hobbies or insisting other opinions. According to my experience, whenever I discuss something, I always want to mention special argument in a different way what others wouldn’t say. I also feel that I am not only one in the world whenever I look at someone who wears same clothes like me. It makes me think that I am common and nothing special. This is weird but even this tiny thing affects my feelings as unique or common. Therefore, this desire influences our behavior and thought.

Besides, the environment what we have grown up affects one’s point of view. Despite it is common fact when we think about this kind of questions. It takes major reason of this discussion since it is obvious reason to influence one’s standpoint. For example, even though here are many Koreans in GS, they think the same thing differently in spite of the commonness of their national, educational, and historical backgrounds. It means that even a small part of someone’s environment affects one’s perspective a lot, making us able to see a point of difference clearly between them. Here is another example. From my experience, my sister and I share almost the same conditions, which are the method of bringing up their children by our parent, education, and so on until now. But her and my viewpoints are totally different. She usually views something widely and I see something narrowly. Therefore, I think environment is one major point affecting one’s view.

Even if there are still many factors that determine our perspectives, in my perspective, eagerness to be different, and the conditions around us are the two major facts that influence it. I believe these are the best answers for my question.

Yang Ji Cheol