Nunchi In English Language

Haoyu Chen
Thoms
British Literature
Re Jane Rumination Paper
“That was the power of nunchi. There’s no word for it in English; perhaps its closest literal translation is “eye sense.”. . .For me nunchi was less about some sci-fi power and more about common sense. It was the ability to read a situation and anticipate how you were expected to behave. It was filling your elder’s water glass first, before reaching for your own. The adults at church always said that good nunchi was the result of a good “family education.” “ (Page 5) This quote comes from the first chapter whence Mrs.Bae visits Sang and Jane at Food. Mrs.Bae and Sang exchange greetings and the proper courtesies. Sang shoots Jane a look. Jane is able to understand what Sang wants

Well, I’m not korean, I’m chinese, but a form of nunchi exists in chinese culture as well. For me the term nunchi combines several concepts including manners, politeness, intuition, quick understanding, reading non-verbal signals and reading between the lines. Nunchi was never explicitly taught but rather ingrained into me as a sort of common sense. And the reason for me to learn nunchi was to maintain relationships properly. To explain how nunchi is used in my life, I would have to explain what “face” is.
Face is of utmost importance in asian culture the same way individuality is of utmost importance in american culture. There are many aspects to face : one can gain face, one can lose face, one give or not give face to others. In essence, face is respect. To give face is to give respect. To not give face, is to not give respect. Therefore the more face that is given to you, the more respected you are. If you lose face, you bring shame to yourself and your acquaintances and family. And the way to gaining, giving, or losing face would using nunchi to know what you should and should not

You should actively employ ways to show respect for a person of higher ranked, such as keeping your opinions to yourself unless asked and expressing humility and humbleness when complimented. On public occasions, one should always use polite speech and speak softly. The best attitude was one that was humble and polite. You should downplay any superiority you have in any field to bridge the gap between you and your colleagues or acquaintances. For a higher ranked senior, they were to show kindness to those around and below them. They were to be helpful in any ways possible and be a ethical role model for the