VOL.69/2024.04

The Wisdom to Survive in the Ever-changing World

Professional investor’s pick

2024.03.11

The first book I would like to introduce is Forecast of the Times: Era of Nuclear Individuals (Kyobo Book Center). Song Gil-Young, the writer of this book, is a “mind miner” who reads and interprets the human mind from big data, which is an accumulation of millions of people’s records. He has spent the last 20 years observing people’s daily records to understand the meanings they are looking for, and using them to predict future currents and trends.
I chose this book not because of the reputation of the writer, Song Gil-Young, but because of the title. I was so curious to know what a “nuclear individual” was, so I purchased the book and read it. The book was written in an easy-to-read style, and I really got into it as it was filled with various examples of what we are going through. The core of the book is this: the top-down authoritarian system that has been ingrained in our society for decades is collapsing, and a new era of the individual is emerging, where individuals are self-reliant through the power of mutual networks.
This is due to intelligence and aging. With the ability to utilize tools like AI, individuals are becoming more intelligent and no longer relying on past knowledge or authority. In the aging era, where people are expected to live to 100 years old, the concept of a workplace that requires lifelong loyalty is disappearing, and each individual’s capabilities are becoming more important. The age of the “nuclear individual” has arrived, where the individual is more important than the collective. In the book, the writer discusses the language skills we need to have to survive in the age of the nuclear individual, how to embrace diversity, and how to age wisely. He also emphasizes the importance of storytelling, or “narrative,” which is your own personal story. It is said that one’s narrative can never be manufactured in an instant, but only with time and authenticity. In the age of the irresistible “nuclear individual,” I hope this book will give you the wisdom to survive in an ever-changing world.

The next book is Don’t Run, You’ll Get Tired (Hanbit Biz) by Lee Ji-Pung. Lee Ji-Pung is a training coach who helps professional baseball players with weight training, injury prevention, diet, and mental management. Based on his 20 years of experience in professional baseball, he shares his strategies for players who perform at their best.
As the book title suggests, writer Lee emphasizes the importance of rest. In order to achieve our goals in sports, study, work, and so on, we obviously have to work hard. Hitters have to work hard on their batting practice, and pitchers have to work hard on their pitching form. While this doesn’t guarantee success in professional baseball, everyone agrees that only constant training can help you survive in the professional baseball world. However, writer Lee goes against this perception. He emphasizes the importance of “rest,” that is, proper rest, not constant training, is the key to success. This is not to say that you should not train and rest only. He stresses that you can become an outstanding player in professional baseball if you take care of your physical fitness through proper rest along with customized training for your goals. I think that’s something that the average person needs to hear. If you work all the time, 365 days a year, you will burn out, get sick, and possibly die. I believe that the balance between work and rest is the most important thing that can make our lives last for a long time, and I hope this book can make people think that taking a break is just as important.

Written by Yeom Seung-Hwan (Director of the Retail Department at EBEST Investment & Securities)