Negativity Begets Negativity

Even by climate change standards, Korea has had a rough summer. Since the beginning of July, temperatures have hovered consistently in the mid to high 90s. The result is many folks have spent their free time indoors. Chores were carried out only when necessary and outings have been kept to a minimum. Even the lore of getting a nice tan lost its appeal due to the blistering and uncompromising heat. In commenting on the weather, it is worth noting how it does have a ripple effect. The extreme heat just did not happen in a vacuum. In the case of Korea, it triggered changes in behavior.

In my time of living and working in Korea, one source of pleasure was and is the close attention that people give to maintaining a clean and neat environment. For instance, sidewalks and pathways are usually kept clear of brush to help make it easier for walkers and bikers to travel. This has not been the case this summer. It has simply been far too hot for people to work outdoors for any length of time. Consequently, the Incheon area in which I work and live simply has not been as clean-cut as it normally is. The weather has caused people to cut back on what normally would be regular behavior. While I understand the change, nevertheless find it to be unfortunate.         

Looking at this cause and affect, I am reminded that one of the consequences of negative behavior is that it can and does have an equal impact on communication. It is not uncommon, for instance, for rude actions to shut people down. When a person yells, insults others and acts in unpleasant ways, it is not unusual for those around him or her to turn the other way. Some may go silent while others may yell back. The point is unacceptable or inappropriate communicating often begets more and equal negative communicating. When this happens, nobody wins. The trick, then, is for all of us to keep doing all we can to choose civility over incivility.