Question Intelligence

QUESTION INTELLIGENCE
The questions to maximize your potential and accelerate your innovation
Isaac You
Copyright © 2018 Isaac You. All rights reserved.
ISBN 13: 9781983298660

AUTHOR
Isaac You is a bestselling author who stirred a rave for questioning

in South Korea. He is an active author, a public speaker, and semi-
conductor engineer.
“What legacy will I leave to the next generation?”
He asks himself this question continuously, and he considers liv-

ing out the answers his mission. Each publication is a result of
contemplating this question. He has read over 3,500 books in vari-
ous fields which fuels his writing as well as speaking engagements.
His first book <Question Intelligence> was sensational as it made
a strong case that good questions are a key to innovative problem
solving not only for individuals, but for families, organizations,
and society as a whole. His second book <Power of Note taking>
expands on how humanity advanced civilization through note
taking and how to optimize one’s thinking capacity through the
practice of it. In his third book <Publish Your Life>, he shares his
know-hows on how to plan and publish content, highlighting how
to be a leader through it amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He earned his doctoral degree from KAIST, Korea, and completed
3 years of post-doctoral fellowship at University of Michigan, USA.
He is currently working in Samsung Electronics. He lives in South
Korea with his wife and daughter.
Instagram: @isaacyouwrites
Email: writetoisaacyou@gmail.com
CONTENTS
Prologue vii
PART ONE Successful People and Question

Intelligence1
Chapter 1 Improve Your Question Intelligence 3
Chapter 2 “What If,” the Question that
Maximizes Creativity 17
Chapter 3 The Question That Maximizes
Persuasiveness, “Why?” 31
Chapter 4 The Question that Maximizes
Productivity, the “One Thing” Question 39
Chapter 5 “Why Not,” the Question that
Maximizes Determination 50
Chapter 6 Questions that Maximize Critical Thinking 63
Chapter 7 Questions that Maximize Self-Reflection 76
PART TWO Successful Organizations and

Question Intelligence 87
Chapter 8 To Adapt, or to Perish? Questions for
Survival of Organizations 89
Chapter 9 What is Our Identity? The Question for
Successful Organizations with a
Defined Brand 105
Chapter 10 Questions to Create Creative,
Innovative Culture 127
PART THREE Successful Families and Question

Intelligence147
Chapter 11 A Successful Child, is it Property?
Or Existence? 149
Chapter 12 Good Questions for Successful
Home Education 173
PART FOUR Successful Societies and Question

Intelligence189
Chapter 13 Questions that Transformed Society 191
Epilogue215
References219
PROLOGUE
A Nobel prize winner in the field of physics, American physi-

cist Isidore Isaac Rabi said these famous words during his
lifetime.
“Although completely unintentional, it was my mother who
made me into the scientist that I am today. When greeting their
children coming back from school, most Jewish mothers in
Brooklyn would ask them, ‘so what did you learn in school today?’
However, my mother was different. Instead, she would always ask,
‘so what interesting questions did you ask your teacher today?’
Such a subtle difference is what shaped me into a scientist.”
Rabi mother encouraged him to foster ceaseless curiosity,
and to expand such curiosity through the act of asking questions.
Furthermore, she provided motivation for Rabi to find the answers
to his elaborate questions on his own. These qualities proved to
be the critical forces that contributed to Rabi’s Nobel prize in the
future.
Homo loquens. As linguistic beings, we think and communi-
cate with others through language. Thinking by means of lan-
guages can be viewed as an endless process of questions about
‘thinking’ and seeking answers to such questions. The questions
dictate the areas that we should focus on and to heed attention
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to, while guiding us to think about the answers to these ques-

tions. Therefore, good questions help us find information of both
increased quantity and quality.
Conversation through language can be defined as a process of
organic interactions between questions that begin conversations
and their respective answers. As key components of conversations,
wrong or inappropriate questions will not yield desired answers.
Conversely, if the questions are appropriate, the conversation will
be fluid and ultimately lead to desirable answers.
Good questions will demand focus and attention from the lis-
tener, and even stimulate his passion. Therefore, good questions
will help you become a distinguished teacher, effective speaker,
and a desirable presenter. Furthermore, excellent questions some-
times act as sources of creativity and ideas. A common trait among
excellent leaders like Apple’s Steve Jobs, Microsoft’s Bill Gates,
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is that they
possessed a keen ability to “pitch” incredible questions. Similarly,
humanity’s countless progress and revolutions sprouted from
unforeseen questions that allowed new ways of thinking outside
the box of tradition and conventionality.
Emphasizing once more, it is necessary for us to learn how to
“ask questions,” a central skill in life. Unfortunately, this skill to ask
great questions does not receive proper attention, and continues
to be ignored in our education. In spite of the unfortunate situ-
ation, anyone who is dedicated to learn such a skill can acquire
“question intelligence,” or the ability to ask questions of high cali-
ber. Question intelligence is not an innate ability, but rather an
acquired skill that can be honed.
We must develop question intelligence of high standards.
Question intelligence serves as an essential foundation for shaping
critical abilities like creativity, persuasiveness, willpower, inquisi-
tiveness, and human relationships that are part of individuals,
families, organizations, and society as a whole. Let us develop our
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Question Intelligence
question intelligence through this book. Then, we will soon pos-

sess a surprisingly high level of question intelligence comparable
to those of the world’s greatest leaders.
April 2018
Isaac You
ix
PART ONE
Successful People and Question Intelligence
C HAP T E R 1
IMPROVE YOUR QUESTION INTELLIGENCE
U .S. editorial magazine “Times” selected Albert Einstein as the

twentieth century’s most important intellectual.1 Einstein’s
theories of special relativity and general relativity became the basis
of contemporary scientific advancements, and completely trans-
formed perspectives and paradigms of time and space.2 “Times”
labeled Einstein as an ingenious scientist and a humanitarian,
while hailing him as a “locksmith” who held the keys to the mys-
teries of atom and space. Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physi-
cist, claimed that no scientist can ever publish more revolution-
ary results than Einstein had revealed. Jacob Bronowski, a British
mathematician and science writer, said these words after critically
examining Einstein’s life.
“Einstein…he was an individual who asked innumerable, sim-
ple questions. Through his simple questions, he acquired thoughts
of the gods.”
Einstein was curious about the vast, unknown world of atoms
and space, and proceeded to ask questions about them.
• What is time?
• How was gravity created?
• Is there anything that is faster than the speed of light?
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• What would we see if we traveled at the speed of light?

• Can we explain the forces that control the world of the vast
universe and microscopic quantum mechanics?
Einstein spent his entire life seeking answers to such questions,

and his answers revolutionized mankind’s civilization and way of
thinking. He once said,
“If I had an hour to solve a problem, then I would spend fifty-
five minutes thinking of critical questions. If I find the right ques-
tion, then I should be able to solve the problem in the remaining
five minutes.”
As can be seen from his words, good questions provide key
insights that reveal the problem’s core issues. In addition, they
allow us to view the problem with new perspectives and think
beyond conventional thoughts and paradigms.
Albert Einstein during a lecture in Vienna in 1921
4
Mankind’s Power of Thinking and Question Intelligence

Evolution of mankind did not happen overnight. It was a result of
constant competition and survival of the fittest among various spe-
cies that split from the Australopithecus. From an anthropological
perspective, humanity’s genealogy is as follows:
Australopithecus → Homo habilis → Homo erectus →

Homo sapiens
However, what is the key factor that ultimately contributed to the

Homo sapiens’ rise to the top? Aside from its ability to use tools with
their hands, Homo erectus did not possess distinguishable traits
from other organisms. In contrast, Homo sapiens possessed one
unique ability that others did not have. It was the ability to think.
Homo sapiens were able to develop languages, and also think in
both abstract, detailed ways. This ability to think contributed to the
development of philosophy, arts, culture, religion, and technology,
ultimately allowing them to reign over all other organisms on Earth.3
The Homo sapiens’ ability to think is a basic trait that human-
ity possesses. However, in today’s world where astonishing progress
has been achieved in scientific technology and intricate networks
have been established through globalization, the rudimentary
ability to “think” is now newly recognized as a crucial component
to success and must be continuously developed. Countless books
at bookstores with titles such as “Think Like a Genius,” “Thinking
Creatively,” “Simple Thinking,” “Strengthening the Power to
Think,” “Think Differently,” “Exercising Your Thinking Muscles,”
“How to Think like Steve Jobs,” and “Think Like Google” serve as
testaments to this trend. As can be seen, people now consider the
power of thinking as a way to distinguish themselves from others
and an important ingredient of success. Some even believe that
ways of thinking dictates their direction in life and fate.
Then what does it mean to think? Thinking is such a vast con-
cept that countless definitions exist depending on the field of
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study. Among the many definitions, Dr. Barbara Warnick and Dr.
Edward Inch, the foremost pioneers in the field of critical think-
ing and communication define thinking as follows:
“Thinking is a process of exploring problems and their sub-
sequent questions, while integrating all relevant information to
arrive at an answer.”
From this definition, the emphasis is clearly placed on the role
of questions in thinking. Questions dictate where focus and atten-
tion should be placed, and encourages curiosity and knowledge
gathering in the areas of focus. Therefore, good questions allow
accumulation of greater number of information, as well as bet-
ter information and ideas.4 In other words, thinking is a series of
exchanges in questions and answers.
To ask good questions! This is the key to thinking well. Anyone
can acquire excellent thinking abilities if they can ask good questions.
Good questions can become the stimuli to improve one’s ability to
think. Questions set the parameters for thoughts, and consequently
decide the type of information to seek. Without questions, your
thoughts will be fleeting, like a sheep without a shepherd. Therefore,
the abilities to think and to question are inseparable traits.
“One can know someone by the questions they ask.”
As reflected from the quote, one can know who you are and what
you are thinking by examining the questions you ask. For example,
let us examine Pep Guardiola, widely considered the world’s best
football manager. When examining the questions he poses to his
players and coaching staff during matches and training, one can
get a glimpse of his philosophy and thoughts. He asks his players,
“At this exact moment, can you show me greater abilities that
you have yet shown me before?”
“When we have possession of the ball, should an attacking
player trust his midfielders and wait for his opportunity at his tac-
tical position?”
“Should a holding midfielder constantly move to vacant spaces
so that he can receive the ball to safely maintain possession?”
6
“When we lose possession, should all players try to aggressively

take back possession by applying strong pressure?”
Then he proceeds to ask his coaching staff,
“Which formation would allow us to achieve the desired, domi-
nant ball possession?”5
These questions reveal Guardiola’s football philosophy and
emphasis on dominating matches through retrieving posses-
sion by pressing opponents and maintaining possession through
organic, fluid passing among his players. In other words, football,
in the eyes of Guardiola, is a game of limitless possibilities when
his team has possession of the ball. To a greater extent, in order to
exemplify his philosophy to the extreme, he has tried placing his
goalkeeper at a libero position, while leaving only two defenders
at defensive positions and positioning all remaining players at the
midfield or attacking line.6
Do you want to think creatively? Do you want to think in ways
that distinguish yourself from others? Do you want to become
individuals who think about questions with deep insights? Do
you want your company to become an organization that operates
innovatively? If so, then improve your ability to ask questions, and
ultimately your question intelligence. Ask questions creatively,
and pose questions with depth and individuality. In the process
of answering such questions, you will notice drastic improve-
ments in the ability to think among yourself, your family, and your
organization.
The Secret to the Success of the Jewish People,

There are approximately six million Jews residing in the United
States, less than two percent of the entire population. However,
their influence cannot be ignored, stretching across American
societies and even the globalized world. A third of all Harvard
professors, a fifth of American lawyers, a quarter of Ivy League
graduates, and a third of Nobel prize winners are Jewish.7 A half of
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New York City’s public school teachers are also of Jewish descent.
A large number of television and newspaper companies, including
ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington
Post, are owned by Jews. The majority of Silicon Valley’s most famous
startup founders and CEOs are also Jewish, such as Facebook’s
Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Larry Paige and Sergey Brin, Oracle’s
Larry Ellison, Sun Microsystem’s Andy Bechtolsheim, Yelp’s
Jeremy Stoppelman, LinkedIn’s Jeff Weiner, Twitter’s Biz Stone,
and PayPal’s Max Levchin. The fact that Einstein is also Jewish is
already well known.8 As such, worldwide research is prevalent that
focuses on the Jewish people’s secret to success and their educa-
tion methods. What is the secret to their success?
While studying the astonishing abilities and accomplishments
of the Jewish people, many scholars held the assumption that Jews
possessed superior intelligence over other ethnic groups and inves-
tigated their IQ. The investigation concluded that their average
IQ score was 110. Undoubtedly, this score is the highest among
the world’s ethnic groups. In reality, however, when compared to
the averages of those from Hong Kong (107) and Korea (106), the
IQ score rather seems similar. Therefore, we cannot attribute the
Jews’ success and accomplishments solely to their IQs.9,10
As a result, many people point to the Jewish people’s special
education methods as their secret to success. Their education
methods are categorized into two groups: “Maternal question edu-
cation method” and the “Havruta method.” In order to be recog-
nized as a Jew, the maternal blood line deems important. In other
words, regardless of the father’s genealogy, a child is considered
Jewish if his mother is Jewish. As a tradition that is unique across
the world, this method relying on the mother’s family ties to deter-
mine ethnic identity stems from the crucial influence that moth-
ers have on Jewish families and society.
Jewish mothers continuously ask their children,
“Why do you think so?”
“What do you think?”
8
Jewish mothers firmly believe that questions amplify a child’s

curiosity, and his creative capacities will be shaped during the
process of searching for answers to these questions. Parents will
engage in deep conversations and debates with their child through
questions, and ultimately sharpen the child’s way of thinking. As
the child’s level of knowledge and wisdom grows, Jews become
even more motivated and tackle more sophisticated questions. As
children who grew up under their mothers’ question education
and have adopted questioning as a way of life, they actively collect,
ponder, and study data. Even without their parents forcing them to
study, the children independently become motivated to study.11,12
Let us examine the Jews’ second education method, the “Havruta
education.” “Havruta” means “friend” or “companion” in Hebrew.
As such, the Havruta education is a study method that pairs indi-
viduals to question, answer, and debate. In a Jewish household, the
Havruta education is practiced between a father or a mother and
the child, as they endlessly question, answer, and converse about a
book. In schools, the Havruta method is applied by pairing two stu-
dents who read a book to question each other and debate about it.
Two young students practicing Havruta study method
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As evidenced, in the center of Jewish education lies questions.

Through education focusing on questions, Jews nurture their cre-
ativity and ability to question across their lifetime. This pattern
underlies their ability to think creatively. In other words, the secret
to the Jewish people’s incredible success and achievements is their
ability to question, fostered by their education that amplifies their
question intelligence.
The Impact of Questions on Way of Thinking

What impact does questioning have on people’s way of thinking?
In 2009, an academic journal called “Science” published results
that claimed questions and debates surrounding questions improve
level of understanding and learning. The leading scholar of the
research, Michelle K. Smith of The University of Colorado, Boulder,
conducted a semester-long experiment to study the impact of ques-
tions and subsequent debates on the students’ (50 minute lecture,
total number of students: 350, sex: female 63%, male:37%, grade
level: freshman 34%, sophomore 33% junior 16% senior 16%) level
of understanding concerning her lectures.
She posed the “first question (Q1)” to her students and recorded
their initial responses. Afterwards, she paired students to debate
about the question and once again posed the same question
(Q1ad) to record their second answers. Finally, she posed the
“second question (Q2) – different in content compared to Q1 but
similar in nature. Can be answered if same concepts from Q1 are
applied” to her students to record their answers. In order to mini-
mize variability that might arise from influences from professors
or peers, Smith did not reveal any answers before the students
answered Q2.
As a result of sixteen sets of the experiment, 52% of the stu-
dents answered Q1 correctly, while the percentage increased 92%
when asked Q1ad after asking her students to debate the question.
In addition, the percentage of students who answered Q2 correctly
10
was 90%, a high number. Conversely, the percentage of students

who answered Q1 incorrectly was 48%, but of these students, the
percentage of students who correctly answered Q1ad and Q2
improved to 77%. These trends were consistent regardless of the
questions’ level of difficulty. Through this experiment, we can
conclude that questions and debates concerning these questions
markedly improve understanding of the problem’s concepts and
principles to solve problems, thus having a very positive impact on
people’s way of thinking.13
Meanwhile, Alison King of The University of California claims
that self-questioning also proves immensely helpful in processing
and understanding given information. Through self-questioning,
people can focus on crucial points of the subject and data for anal-
ysis, while integrating them with previously accumulated knowl-
edge. The perpetual cycle of ‘question-answer-question’ facilitates
more accurate understanding of the subject and data.14
King conducted her experiment with students (average age:
25.5, average GPA: 3.17) who enrolled in Elementary Education.
The class was conducted in two groups, and one group was taught
to perform self-questioning when studying the material in hopes
to assist their learning. In contrast, the other group was not taught
self-questioning and only assisted their learning through repetition
of the class material. For evaluations, one control test (conducted
before the experiment) and five additional tests (conducted dur-
ing the experiment) were administered to the students.
Over time, the students who studied through self-question-
ing demonstrated greater level of understanding than those
who studied only through repetition. The control test showed
that both groups had similar level of understanding, with scores
hovering between 50-60 points. However, the subsequent tests
showed that students who practiced self-questioning scored on
average 20 points higher than students who practiced repetitive
learning.
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To explain her results, King claimed that because questioning

stimulates cognitive efforts to actively process data, it improves
understanding, thinking capabilities, and effective studying. In
addition, students experience expansive thinking processes that
require holistic use of their brains because self-questioning neces-
sitates understanding the data’s key points and how they are
interconnected, as well as how they intersect with previously held
knowledge.15
People’s thoughts are derived from questions. In other
words, people’s thoughts branch out not from answers, but from
questions. If those who established academic foundations did
not question, then academia would not have evolved. Countless
fields, including physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, eco-
nomics, and political science, were actually born from ques-
tions that required intense curiosity to seek out answers. In
addition, all academic fields can only be actively maintained
through uncharted questions that serve as catalysts for constant
exploration.
Questions guide and stimulate thought. Therefore, in order
to think well, one must be able to pose good questions. The qual-
ity of your questions determine the quality of your thoughts.
Questions about goals and purposes determine your workload
and limitations, while questions about interpretation determine
the meaning you attach to information and how to reconceptual-
ize meaningful information. Questions about perspectives allow
you to escape your own preconceived notions to encounter new
perspectives through the lens of others. Questions about accu-
racy allow you to evaluate the truth of your knowledge, as well as
determining right from wrong. Questions about logic allow you to
determine whether your stream of thought remains compatible
with whatever logical system. If your way of thinking is a train,
then “questioning” is the engine that propels your train to move
forward.16
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Society’s Negligence on Teaching to Question

During the closing ceremony of the September 2010 G20 Summit
held in Seoul, President Barack Obama of the United States gave
the closing speech. After expressing his gratitude to South Korea
for being an excellent host nation, he presented to Korean jour-
nalists a special opportunity for questions. However, only awkward
silence ensued after such an opportunity. Not a single Korean
reporter seized this important opportunity and dared to ask the
President of the United States any questions. Rather, it was that
they did not know how to ask questions. As a result, a Chinese
reporter instead got the chance to ask him questions.
The Korean education system does not teach how to question.
Therefore, Koreans are not accustomed to conversing and debat-
ing through exchanging questions, and thus display extreme defi-
ciency in this regard. In all levels of the education system, including
middle and high schools, after school programs, and even colleges,
teachers and professors unilaterally teach their students, while stu-
dents accept their teaching without much hesitation. When teach-
ers ask them questions, students rarely answer them, inasmuch as
feeling embarrassed to respond. Since they are not used to con-
versations based on questions in their homes or schools, question-
ing in an academic environment feels burdensome to the students.
In an extreme sense, it is prevalent notion that questioning is an
extremely rude and “snobby” behavior that disrupts the flow of
the classroom. Furthermore, in the Korean education system, the
widely accepted convention is that a student’s question is a direct
challenge to authority, and the trend is to focus on immediate aca-
demic results reaped from mechanical learning rather than deeply
understanding the topic through discussions led by questions.17
Perhaps a critical reason for why the Korean reporters threw away
their golden opportunity with President Obama stems from the
conventionalities of the Korean education system that shies away
from teaching to question and even discourages questions.
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The problems surrounding the lack of teaching to question

within the Korean education system seems even more grave due
to the influences of Confucian ideals, but in actuality, this trend
proves to be a worldwide problem. Dr. Dan Rothstein, professor of
education, asserts that students must be taught to self-question to
achieve the most innovative and creative education. He claims that
self-questioning will motivate students to actively participate in the
learning process, while deepening their understanding and pro-
moting self-discovery. He also states that all students must learn
to effectively self-question, and it is the responsibility of all educa-
tional institutions to equip them with the necessary tools to self-
question. However, the contemporary education system, ranging
from pre-schools to high schools, neglect teaching how to question
and focus solely on providing as much knowledge and informa-
tion. Such a trend is almost a brass statement that questioning is
an authority solely belonging to teachers.18
Through revolutions in transportation and communication,
today’s humanity succeeded in achieving transnational interac-
tion and integration unmatched by any other era. Specifically, the
Internet allowed anyone to instantaneously receive valuable knowl-
edge, information, and wisdom from all corners of the world. We
no longer live in a world where the quantity of information is
considered valuable. Instead, today’s era prioritizes how to think
in new, creative ways. When examining the trends within today’s
education systems, rote memorization and mechanical learning is
replaced with systems that encourage creativity and imagination.
Statistically speaking, the diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and
religions of the world population continues to grow. Therefore, in
order to resolve misunderstandings and conflicts that arise in such
a diversified society, a fair and democratic process of making deci-
sions based on conversations and debates will become extremely
important. In this light, our society must teach how to question
and create a society that also collectively asks good questions.
14
For the Socrates of the 21st Century, Improve Your Question

Intelligence!
Question intelligence is an essential ability in our lives that decide
what we think. The quality of the questions imposes great impact
on the quality of life. Furthermore, every question and its qual-
ity dictates the focus of thought and concentration levels. A pessi-
mistic question will yield a pessimistic answer, while an optimistic
question will return an optimistic answer. For example, if a series
of unfortunate events spur questions like “why do these events
only happen to me?” or “why me?” then these questions will focus
one’s thoughts on the failures of life. In contrast, positive ques-
tions such as “where is the silver lining in this situation?” and
“what can I do to enjoy the process of overcoming this problem?”
will provide elation in mood and help to effectively resolve the
problem.
One can learn anything through question intelligence. Question
intelligence allows one to view from multiple perspectives and pro-
vides insight that leads to the core of the problem. In addition,
question intelligence yields new ideas, and helps to find more effec-
tive solutions. In academic settings, question intelligence improves
academic results and promotes active participation in the learning
process. Furthermore, question intelligence lays the foundation
for an overall positive influence on families, organizations, and
societies.
Socrates, a philosopher of ancient Greece, once admitted that
“I know that I know nothing.” Having accepted his own ignorance,
he continuously questioned the unknown and as a result acquired
wisdom and enlightenment. Through repetitive questioning, he
mastered deep conceptual understanding and founded new ideals,
principles, and philosophies previously unknown to his contempo-
raries. His accomplishments became the philosophical foundation
of Western philosophy. We must strive to become individuals with
excellent question intelligence like Socrates.
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I must emphasize once more. We must learn how to ask ques-

tions. By asking better questions, individuals can take their cre-
ativity, persuasion, productivity, willpower, and way of thinking to
new heights. By asking the right questions, organizations can inno-
vate and be successful. Good questions will enhance the education
system to nurture our future leaders and catalyze transforma-
tions that contribute to a happier world. Lets boost our question
intelligence!
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C HAP T E R 2
“WHAT IF,” THE QUESTION THAT

MAXIMIZES CREATIVITY
A s the world shifted from modernism of the 1980’s to the post-

modernism era, society began to seek diversity over unifor-
mity, avant-garde over conventionality, emotions over rationality,
and subculture over mainstream. With shifts in trends, the world
resembled a single organism, connected by revolutionary techno-
logical advancements in communication and information sharing
conducted at astonishing speeds. As people continue to interact
and share widely available information, new ideas and concepts
emerged at an explosive rate. Society yearns refreshing, unique
ideas, and demand for creativity continues to grow.
By definition, there are over sixty-five meanings for the word
“creativity,” each holding disparate meanings depending on the
subject matter and field, such as the arts, science, and literature.
Therefore, it may be meaningless to solely select one definition
among the many that exist. However, all of these meanings share one
thing in common. It is that they all imply “creating something new.”
Austin Kleon, a writer of bestsellers “Steal Like an Artist” and
“Show Like an Artist,” refers to King Solomon’s famous words, ‘there
is nothing new under the sun’ to describe ‘novelty.’ According to
Kleon, when we discuss something new, we are either 1) referring
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to something that already exists in the world but has only been
newly discovered, or 2) rethinking something that already exists
to create something new. In other words, “novelty” refers to some-
thing that “I” know, but others do not.1 Therefore, creativity to
make something new can be defined as the ability to find and
discover something that I or the world was previously unaware of.
In order to exercise creativity, there is a need for you to view
the world in new, unfamiliar perspectives. In addition, you must
be able to break free from the popular customs and methods to
find new possibilities. Just as past explorers tested uncharted terri-
tories with courage, you must also be able to expand the horizons
of your thoughts. When you exhibit creativity, your brain’s neu-
rons transmit new signals and form new networks. As the horizon
of your thoughts expands, the map of your neurological networks
also become more intricate and complex.
Then how do we acquire creativity? What can expand the hori-
zon of your thoughts, so that you can seek out previously unknown,
new possibilities? The answer lies within the question “what if.”
The “what if” questions will maximize your creativity.
“A common theme among all bestselling novels is that there
must exist a definitive ‘what if’ question.”
A famous American named Larry Brook once uttered these
words. He began to wonder why certain books become bestsell-
ers and are forever adored and remembered by many, and certain
books become worst sellers and their existence becomes forgotten.
To him, it was certain that the publishers’ and bookstores’ market-
ing strategies could not solely determine a bestselling novel. After
analyzing his own novels, non-literary bestsellers, and other books
including other countries’ novels, scenarios, and plays, he finally
discovered a crucial secret to bestselling books. It was that they all
contained the question “what if.”2 “What if” questions are ques-
tions that are, by nature, assumptive and divergent. The assump-
tive and divergent characteristics of “what if” questions help to
expand the horizon of thought to infinite levels.
18
A classic example of the “what if” question within novels is Dan

Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.” Brown utilizes the “what if” ques-
tion to unfold his story in a gripping fashion.3
“The Da Vinci Code” and the “What If” Question

‘What if Leonardo Da Vinci hid the truth and secrets of Christianity
in his famous painting “The Last Supper?” ‘
Through this “what if” question, Dan Brown was able to write
a memorable, exhilarating, and inquisitive introduction, and as
these qualities intertwined with his characters and dramatic
themes, the novel truly becomes a page turner. Furthermore, this
“what if” question anticipates other “what if” questions, which
shape the novel’s overall story and structure.
• What if Christ did not die on the cross?

• What if there is a clandestine organization vying to protect
this secret?
• What if they are determined to protect this secret, insofar
as commit murder?
• What if there are other underlying secrets?
• What if the Holy Grail symbolizes Mary Magdalene’s womb
and what if Christ had children?
• What if Christ’s direct descendants were still alive today?
• What if Leonardo Da Vinci knew this secret and he, too,
was a member of a holy organization aware of this secret?
• What if the curator of the Louvre was murdered because he
knew about this secret?
• What if the curator left a hidden message in his blood as
he died?
• What if the protagonist was called upon to solve the murder
mystery, but instead is framed for the murder?
• What if the female character was no ordinary individual?
What if she was connected to the secret kept hidden for two
thousand years?
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• What if the protagonist’s friend seems to offer a helping

hand, but instead tries to control the protagonist and use
his abilities to realize evil motives? What if he tries to kill
the protagonist for knowing about the secret?
As can be seen, Brown intertwines these budding “what if” ques-

tions with the novel’s themes and characters, which allows him to
instill endless thrill and anticipation from the first page to the end
of the story. Just as Brown effectively utilizes the “what if” ques-
tions, you, too, can create innovative ideas with these questions.
Dan Brown, a world-renowned bestselling author
“What If” Questions as Movie Motifs

There is a saying that states there are no assumptions in history.
History is an interpretation of eras conducted by historians with
undeniable facts. Therefore, it is meaningless to interpret and
debate history based on assumptions. However, this does not mean
that there is absolutely no use for assumptions. Through assump-
tions, history can be viewed with new perspectives, and refreshing
stories can be written.
An artistic genre called “faction” is a genre in which historical
facts elaborated with refreshing assumptions to create a new story.
Classic examples of “faction” are historical fiction movies and tele-
vision series.
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Examining era-defining Korean films that attracted over ten mil-

lion viewers, including “Gwanghae,” “The King’s Man,” and “Assas-
sin” we can notice one commonality. Like “The Da Vinci Code,” they
all embody strongly defined “what if” questions. In the classic exam-
ple of “Gwanghae” that garnered twelve million moviegoers, the fact
that there are missing details for fifteen days of the “Seungjungwo-
nilgi” - Journal of the Royal Secretariat during the Joseon Dynasty of
Korea4 - was adopted to spur the following “what if” questions:
• What if the king fell ill due to poison?

• What if a jester, who looked exactly alike to the fallen king,
temporarily took his place on the throne?
• What if this fake king began to govern according to his own
will and beliefs?
• What if the fake king’s policies fell out of favor with his advi-
sors and they found out about his real identity?
Such “what if” questions surely expand the horizon of thought and
help to open new possibilities. Similarly, “what if” questions will
amplify your creative potential.
The poster of “Gwanghae”
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Science and “what if” questions

Science is a field in which “what if” questions play an integral role.
Scientists who transformed the world were capable of asking the
most unique “what if” questions.
Let us take a closer look at the incident of the apple tree that
Isaac Newton experienced as a student of Cambridge University.
Unlike the ordinary person, Newton did not consider falling
objects to be an obvious phenomenon. He pondered why such a
phenomenon occurs and raised countless “what if” questions.
• What if motions of all objects occurs due to forces acting

upon the objects?
• What if a pulling force (forces of attraction or gravity)
existed between Earth and falling objects?
• If forces of attraction existed, what is the relationship
between the two objects’ physical mass? What is the rela-
tionship between the two objects’ mass and distance?
In 2006, when the world was shaken with Professor Hwang Woo
Suk’s falsified thesis at Seoul National University’s School of Vet-
erinary Science, Dr. Yamanaka Shinya of Japan’s Kobe University
published his “Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell, iPS Cell Technol-
ogy” in the world-renowned academic journal called “Cell” which
would bring him the honor of a Nobel prize in the field of physi-
ological medicine. iPS cell technology is a revolutionary technol-
ogy in which four types of DNA (Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc, Klf4) into
an already mature, specialized cell, which reprograms the cell as
a pluripotent stem cell that is divisible into all types of cells within
the human body. In order to treat an incurable disease, if neces-
sary cells of an organ can be infinitely reproduced in test tubes
and then inserted, the once distant dream of disease-free longev-
ity would be possible. So how did Dr. Yamanaka think of this iPA
cell technology?
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In his autobiography “The Discovery of Possibilities,” Dr. Yamanaka

Shinya recalls that most scientists focused their research on divid-
ing embryonic stem cells into desired somatic cells. However,
research based on embryonic stem cells carry two critical pitfalls.
First, using human embryos stirs conflicts with ethical and religious
values, and secondly, the immune system’s resistance to inserted
embryonic stem cells. At this point, after reading a thesis published
by Kobe University’s Takashi Tada (2001), Dr. Yamanaka was struck
with a brilliant idea.5 Dr. Takashi reported that when a thymocyte
and an embryonic stem cell of a mouse undergo electrofusion, the
thymocyte acquires the ability to differentiate. Upon reading the
thesis, Dr. Yamanaka asked himself these “what if” questions.
• What if the reason for differentiation capability of the thy-

mocyte is due to a special DNA that exists in embryonic
stem cells but not in somatic cells?
• What if this particular DNA was found and inserted into a
normal somatic cell? Will it become a pluripotent stem cell?
After diligently researching this new idea, Dr. Yamanaka’s research

team was able to narrow the possible DNA candidates to twenty-
four types, and was finally able to discover four DNAs essential in
creating artificial pluripotent stem cells.
Today’s science not only refers to the natural sciences, such as
chemistry, physics, and biology, but also encompasses numerous
social sciences, such as anthropology, political science, psychology,
geology, legal studies, economics, administrative studies, history,
linguistics, and philosophy.
“What does it mean to study science?”
Karl Popper once posed this question. According to him, science is to

confirm or disprove independent assumptions through experiments
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Dr. Yamanaka Shinya, the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in physiology or medicine
and experiential evidence. The assumption in question is closely

related to the uniqueness and excellence of the scientific experi-
ment’s results. If the assumption itself is unique and genuine, then
the experimental result will also possess uniqueness. If the assump-
tion is not genuine nor deemed important, then its results will not
garner interest, no matter how great the experimental results are.
Assumptions are devised in “if (what), then (what)” structure.
This structure is very similar to that of “what if” questions. Therefore,
the ability to pose creative “what if” questions can be translated into
the ability to raise creative assumptions, which ultimately leads to
creative, experimental results in science.
How did Larry Page Think of Google?

In 1998, two PhD candidates, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, founded
Google together in a dormitory room at Stanford University. At the
time, the two individuals had absolutely no training in entrepre-
neurship or relevant experience. Furthermore, unlike other com-
panies that focused on marketing and investment strategies, they
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cared little about how they can reap profits from Google. Instead,
they relied on one very simple belief.
‘If we can create the world’s best search engine and allow people
to use it for free, profits will naturally follow!’
After Google’s launch, the two moved out from their dormi-
tory and Google found a new headquarter in the garage of their
friend’s home in Menlo Park. Initially, Google received $100,000
in investments from Andy Bechtolsheim, the co-founder of Sun
Microsystems. As Google gradually received positive reviews
and the number of users increased at an explosive rate, a ven-
ture capital firm invested $25 million in June of 1999. In 2004,
Google underwent an IPO to become a million-dollar firm to a
billion-dollar one, which allowed yet another headquarter move
to Mountainview, California. Now, aside from his original iden-
tity as a critical search engine, Google also offers cloud-based ser-
vices like Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Drive, as well as social
networking services through Google+, internet browsing software
through Chrome, and mobile operating system through Android.
More importantly, all of these services are provided without charge
to the entire world. Today, Google continues to lead and define all
trends in the Age of the Internet.
How were two graduate students able to think of something
as grand and successful as Google? The answer lies in one ques-
tion that Larry Page asked himself as he awoke in the middle of
the night in his dormitory room. He describes this question in his
book “How Does Google Work?”6
‘One night, I woke up in the middle of a dream and a question
popped up in my head. What if I downloaded all Internet websites
and linked all of them in an easily accessible way?”
Immediately after posing himself this question, he grabbed a
pen and paper and began jotting down details to test whether such
an idea would be possible. Although he was thinking about writ-
ing his PhD thesis on the World Wide Web’s mathematical charac-
teristics under Professor Terry Winograd of the computer science
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department, he never once thought about creating an Internet

search engine. He began to struggle with this new idea with his
friend, Sergey Brin, and the two finally succeeded in patenting their
algorithm, ‘PageRank,’ which laid the foundations for Google’s suc-
cess. At the time, the most popular search engine, Yahoo, used an
algorithm that prioritized the frequency of keywords to decide the
listing order of links for user searches. However, such an algorithm
runs across limitations because it fails to consider the page’s actual
relevance and importance to the users. To overcome such limita-
tions, Page and Brin prioritized and ranked websites on the Web
by calculating the frequency of the website’s links to other websites,
while simultaneously calculating the overall relevance of the linked
websites. Simply put, if you make a statement and as more people bor-
row your words, especially renowned politicians or other individuals
of social status, your statement gains more trust and significance.
As such, Page discovered, thought, and researched this new
possibility through a “what if” question, and his efforts culminated
as an algorithm called PageRank, the foundation of Google’s
prominence today.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page, co-founders of Google
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“What If” Questions and Creative Problem Solving

There are three representative ways of thinking when solving prob-
lems: convergent thinking, divergent thinking, and lateral think-
ing. What is intriguing, however, is that there are distinct “what if”
questions underlying each way of thinking. By training yourself
to ask many “what if” questions, you will be able to acquire these
three ways of creative solving.
First, convergent thinking is to think by combining more than
two separate elements. Just as different puzzle pieces come together
to reveal the whole picture, you can obtain new methods and results
by combining different elements. The “what if” question that cor-
responds to convergent thinking is the “what if + question.” “What
if +” question is fundamentally expressed as “what if A and B were
combined?” structure.
A classic example of the “what if +” question can be found in
Steve Jobs’ iPhone 3G presentation in 2007. During the presentation,
Jobs showed the crowd three pieces of technology, the phone, the
Internet, and the iPod, and posed the following “what if+” question.
“What if these three distinct devices did not exist as separate
identities, but were combined into one device?”
Jobs and his development team in Apple dreamt of a device
that combined previously independent machines, and the result
was the iPhone. From then on, their dream allowed you to access
numerous functions, including a camera, recording device, note-
pad, computer, video player, music player, dictionary, and video
games at the touch of your fingers.
Secondly, in contrast to convergent thinking, divergent thinking
is conducted by separating or eliminating elements that comprise
an entity. Through divergent thinking, one can gain a more sim-
plistic view of the problem, and even pinpoint the most critical ele-
ment of the problem. Divergent thinking is the leading principle in
contemporary design, in which simplicity and smartness are valued.
The “what if” question that corresponds to such way of thinking is
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the “what if –” question. The “what if –”question is fundamentally

expressed as “what if B was eliminated from A?” structure.
The application of the “what if –” question can be see from
Dyson, an innovative household appliance company. The fan and
wireless vacuum cleaner, the most notable products of Dyson, were
created through the “what if –” question.
• What if there were no blades in a fan?

• What if the vacuum bag was removed from the cleaner?
Will it be more convenient?
• What if the vacuum cleaner could be recharged without
electrical cords? Will it be more convenient?
Finally, lateral thinking is simply a method of thinking in which our

conventional wisdom, principles, and myths are rejected to think
with new perspectives and directions. More commonly, unfamiliar
viewpoints are considered to be examples of lateral thinking.
More commonly, “stepping inside someone else’s shoes” is an

example of lateral thinking. By thinking laterally and viewing a
familiar entity with a different lens, you can seek new possibilities
completely disparate from conventional ways. For example, when
given a maze problem like below, lateral thinking would entail
seeking a solution not within the maze like conventional methods,
but looking for a solution from outside the maze.
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The “what if” question that corresponds to lateral thinking is the

“what if (X) question.” The “what if (X) question” is fundamen-
tally expressed in “what if A is wrong (what if not A) / what if
another option was chosen over A / what if A was rejected” struc-
ture. A classic example of the “what if (X) question” can be found
within the creativity of Elon Musk. In order to solve problems,
Musk did not rely on standard methods, and instead always sought
new, unique ways.
• A rocket’s expensive fuel tank was always disposed of after

launch, but what if it need not be disposed of?
• While all automobile companies invest great efforts to pro-
tect their patented technology, what if Tesla shared its pat-
ented technology with others and how would the market
respond?
• Do transactions must always happen through banks? What if
online transactions bypassed banks and occurred through
simple emails?
As can be seen, additive thinking, subtractive thinking, and lateral

thinking can all be expressed as “what if” questions. Additive think-
ing can be expressed in “what if (+)” questions, subtractive think-
ing as “what if (-)” questions, and lateral thinking as “what if (X)”
questions.
Training to Ask “What If” Questions: “What If” Mapping

So how can you train yourself to ask “what if” questions that maxi-
mize your creative potential? This book will introduce one very
effective method. Mind mapping is a diagram that organizes
information (thoughts, ideas, keywords, images, etc.) in a visual,
organic manner, and proves to be a very effective way to amplify
your brain’s hidden potential. To perform mind mapping, one
needs to first write down key concepts of a topic in the middle of a
piece of paper, and connect the key concept with relevant concepts
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in a free-flowing manner. Through mind mapping, training to

ask “what if” questions can be possible. Let us label this training
method as the “what if” mapping. We will use the aforementioned
novel “The Da Vinci Code” and its narrative to demonstrate “what
if” mapping.
What if mapping of “The Da Vinci Code”
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C HAP T E R 3
THE QUESTION THAT MAXIMIZES

PERSUASIVENESS, “WHY?”
T oday, we live in an era of self-marketing, or the era of “self

public relations.” In order to conduct successful sales and
negotiations, as well as to effectively present oneself and leave last-
ing impressions, self public relations have become an indispens-
able ability. The crux of self public relations is ‘how do you effec-
tively convey your thoughts and ideas to others?’ In other words,
it requires persuasiveness. Regardless of how great your ideas are
during a presentation or negotiation, they are meaningless with-
out an effective delivery. Therefore, you must be able to convey
your thoughts and ideas in a strategic, persuasiveness manner.
Excellent leaders are equipped with outstanding persuasive-
ness, and inspire others with effective delivery of their vision,
purpose, and values. However, the majority of the people have
not had opportunities to learn about strategic persuasiveness.
Unfortunately, Korea’s education system does not entail a curric-
ulum that teaches persuasiveness. People believe that leadership
qualities are innate within excellent, charismatic leaders, and that
their persuasiveness is a trait reserved solely for these individuals.
Simon Sinek, the author of “Start With Why,” asserts that per-
suasiveness is not an intrinsic quality, but rather a learned trait
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that can be learned and taught. He analyzed why certain people

are especially more impactful and persuasiveness, which leads
to their innovation and success. After scrutinizing effective lead-
ers across the world, he was surprised to discover that unlike
others, these leaders act and communicate in strikingly similar
manner.1
Leaders, including the Wright Brothers who invented airplanes,
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who symbolizes the Black Rights move-
ment, Steve Jobs who opened the age of personal computers and
revolutionized communications, Elon Musk who is the inspiration
for the superhero “Iron Man,” and Bill Gates of Microsoft all began
their careers with “why?” Afterwards, they provided countless peo-
ple with inspiration and motivation.
The Secret Behind Steve Jobs’ Persuasiveness

In 1976, in his parent’s garage, Steve Jobs founded Apple along
with Steve Wozniak. In 1985, exactly 12 years after exile from his
own company, the “king of personal computers” returned home
to Apple to rescue his brainchild. Before his untimely death in
October of 2011 due to cancer, Jobs was able to create the most
valuable company in the world. The products he created through
Apple not only affected personal lives, but also completely trans-
formed seven industries, including personal computers, anima-
tion, music, portable phones, tablet computers, retail, and digital
publishing.
Jobs had the unique ability to turn imagination, previously
only witnessed in futuristic movies, into actual technology and
machines. He rejected commonplace and ordinary ideas, and
always introduced the world with unique, new products. Before the
release of new products, Jobs’ introductory presentations always
caused a stir among swarms of people. The devout “Apple nerds”
spent listless nights lining up to get their hands on the newest
product, and people studying marketing and branding strove to
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mimic every move of Jobs. Numerous journalists competed against

one another to report on Jobs’ inspirational presentations to the
world. Once hearing Jobs’ stories, people instantly became capti-
vated by his words and soon joined “Apple Mania” to purchase his
latest piece of technology. What is the secret to Jobs’ extraordinary
persuasiveness?
If Jobs considered Apple to be an ordinary computer manu-
facturer, his marketing campaign probably would have resembled
something like this:
“We make great computers. They’re beautifully designed, sim-
ple to use and user friendly. Want to buy one?”
When introducing their latest products, most companies devise
their marketing strategies by focusing on the product and how it
was created. While their efforts are noteworthy, it fails to leave
strong impressions and inspiration in people.
However, Jobs and presentation differentiated itself. He does
not start with “what was created” or “how it was created.” Rather,
his marketing campaign always begins with “why the product was
created.” In other words, it all begins with Apple’s values, beliefs,
and purpose.
“Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo.
We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status
quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use
and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want
to buy one?”
This message from Steve Jobs not only tweaked the order of
information, but it also conveys “why” Apple exists and “why” the
product was created. What Apple does and how Apple does it
also signifies Apple’s products. What is important is that prod-
ucts themselves does not equate to justification or reason to
purchase the products. Rather, it is the “why” the product was
created that becomes the reason for people to purchase the
product.
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Steve Jobs presenting iPhone, 2007
The Importance of “Why” and its Biological Evidence

Humans innately consider a sense of belonging to be important. A
sense of belonging exists in most cultures. It is natural for people
to trust others who share similar beliefs and values. For example,
when traveling abroad, a feeling of fateful connection occurs
when we meet others of same nationality or religion. This desire so
strong that people are willing to go so far as to use financial means
in order to acquire this sense of belonging.
What is the reason for people to share and adhere to popular
trends and values? It is because people psychologically feel secure
when they possess a sense of belonging. In addition, a sense of
belonging strengthens one’s existential value by gaining support
and recognition from others. People always yearn to be part of
others and organizations that share similar or identical beliefs.
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Therefore, your ability to clearly answer “why” and succinctly con-

vey the answer regarding your values, beliefs, and causes will lay
the foundation for sympathy and support from others.
As for persuasiveness and the importance of “why,” the evi-
dence can be found within the biological structure of the human
brain. The human brain largely consists of three areas.2
Structure of the human brain
1. Crocodile Brain: The first developed area of the brain. This

area has no linguistic capabilities and due to its simple,
automatic nature, it is responsible for primal instincts and
feelings, such as fear and happiness.
2. Midbrain: Located in the middle of the brain. This area is
responsible for understanding complex tasks, such as social
interactions.
3. Neocortex: The most progressively developed part of the
brain. It is the reason for mankind’s superior intelligence
compared to other organisms. Due to development of the
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neocortex, people are able to conduct high-level, logical

thinking and analysis
When persuading others, the neocortex is activated to convert

your high-level thinking to words. However, the problem is that
while you are speaking, the listener is not receiving the message
with the use of their neocortex. Instead, the listener uses his croco-
dile brain to filter whether your message is valuable enough to be
transmitted to the neocortex. In other words, if your message is
incomprehensible for uninteresting, then the listener’s crocodile
brain will filter out your message and not allow it to be processed.
Therefore, the most important factor for persuasion is for your
message to “persuade” the crocodile brain.
Since inception, Herb Kelleher, the founder of Southwest
Airlines, has always preached his belief and values that his com-
pany’s most important purpose is not only company profits, but
also the welfare and happiness of his employees. Even when prof-
its suffered, Kelleher invested in infrastructure and services for
employee welfare and happiness without hesitation, and thus his
beliefs and values were even more persuasively delivered. As a
result, the employees of Southwest Airlines worked with utmost
happiness and satisfaction. As happiness can be infectious, this
result soon trickled into customers’ happiness, garnering the com-
pany numerous loyal customers. Now, Southwest Airlines employs
46,000 happy employees, operating about 5,000 flights to domi-
nate the US domestic skies and boasting over $18 billion in profits.3
The key to persuasiveness is not “what” you have nor “how” to
sell yourself. Rather, the key is to win over the hearts of others with
your “why” and utilizing the values that you believe.
To Speak Like Steve Jobs, the Optimal Speaking Strategy

How can you speak persuasively like Steve Jobs? In order to do so,
you must start with the “why” and further segment the question into
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a 3-step structured “why-how-what” question. It is a speaking strategy

that is not only employed by Jobs, but also commonly utilized by
many famous CEOs, and thus serves as a testament to its effective-
ness in corporate management. As such, let us overview what each
step entails, and the questions that help to clarify each step.
First, specify the “why.” This is to clearly define “why” a certain
act must be done. This question conveys your values, beliefs, vision,
motive, and purpose.
• Why are you doing what you say you do? Are you confident
in your actions?
• What faith is behind the action you propose? Can you effec-
tively convey this faith?
• What values do you wish to convey through your message?
• What is the motive for your passionate work? Can this pas-
sion also motivate others?
• Does your purpose have value?
Second, after stating the “why,” then the next step is to clarify
“how” this important work will be accomplished. “How” you can
achieve your values will become your Mission Statement, and in
the case of companies, the Company Statement.
• What is the method to effectively achieve your purpose and

vision?
• Have you adequately investigated previous methods to do
so?
• Compared to already existing methods, how does your
method differentiate itself?
• Can others easily understand your method?
Third, convey the “what” with consistency. If the “why” is your value,
then the “how” becomes the method to realize this value. Next, you
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must put forth something that justifies your reasons, whether it be

your words or actions. Only when your words and actions corre-
spond to your values and the mission statement will people accept
your values without skepticism. This is because people will acknowl-
edge your truthfulness through your consistent actions and words.
If your words and actions are inconsistent, then people will not
believe your values.
• What have you done to achieve your purpose?

• What is the most important in your message? Are you effec-
tively emphasizing this element?
• Are you prioritizing the steps to achieve your purpose?
• What are the difficulties and unforeseen factors during
your initiative? How did you overcome these obstacles?
• Do your accomplishments effectively highlight your vision
and values?
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C HAP T E R 4
THE QUESTION THAT MAXIMIZES

PRODUCTIVITY, THE “ONE THING” QUESTION
A ccording to the 2014 OECD report, the average Korean citi-

zen works 2,163 hours per year. This number ranks second
after Mexico (2,228 hours) among all OECD member countries.
While it is ranked second, Korea had steadfastly ranked first for
eight years, between 2000 and 2007. In other words, the workload
and working hours in Korea is not a temporary phenomenon, but
rather a long-held custom. When compared to Germany, which
boasts a GDP tripled that of Korea, Korea’s work hours is 1.6 lon-
ger than that of Germany (1,371 hours). When counted as days,
Korean workers are, on yearly average, working four more months
longer than those of Germany.1
From the OECD report, we can definitively confirm that effec-
tiveness and productivity does not directly correlate with workload
and working hours. The laborers of first-world countries, including
the United States and Germany, can achieve greater productivity
while working less hours. However, what does the reality of Korea
suggest to us? The calendars and ‘to-do lists’ of many Korean peo-
ple are inundated with tasks and responsibilities. They work long
hours due to extreme workloads, but the results often do not meet
expectations. In order to compensate for subpar achievements,
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people respond by increasing their workloads and working even

longer hours. As such, the perpetual cycle of inefficiency continues.
In order to increase efficiency and productivity, you must first look
through three myths regarding productivity. Once you uncover the
truth behind these myths and break free from the inefficient cycle,
your efficiency and productivity will be fundamentally different.
Myths About Productivity

1) All work is equally important!
The saying that all work and their outcomes are equally impor-
tant is a classic myth. If all tasks were equally important, you will
always be overworked because you will have too many responsibili-
ties. If you truly want to succeed, you cannot sacrifice important
tasks in favor of less important ones.
Is your list of responsibilities currently filled with mostly unim-
portant tasks? If so, you cannot reap meaningful results. This is
because you will waste valuable time on trivial tasks. How dejected
would you feel to realize that all the hard, busy work you have com-
mitted was actually time spent unproductively?
19th century Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto created the
famous “80:20” rule. The Pareto Law actually finds its roots from
the phenomenon in which Pareto realized that 20% of the Italian
population possesses 80% of land in Italy.
In 1930, Joseph Juran applied the Pareto Law to the fact that
‘important asks are a few, and trivial ones are many.’ Afterwards,
author Richard Koch invoked the Pareto Law to claim that a small
amount of effort dictates the majority of results.2 If you desire more
achievements, then you must focus not on the amount of work, but
smaller yet more important tasks.
2) Multi-tasking to Increase Productivity!

In order to study the relationship between multi-tasking and
productivity, Stanford University’s Clifford Nass conducted an
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experiment with 262 volunteers. As a result, 97.5% of subjects did

not pass the multi-tasking test. More shockingly, the results indi-
cated that those who performed longer periods of multi-tasking
fared worse in productivity levels than those who multi-tasked
intermittently. In the end, Nass concluded that “The idea that
multi-tasking improves productivity is a myth.”3
In lieu with this conclusion, prominent neurologist Molly
Springer claimed that multi-tasking, on average, decreases pro-
ductivity by 50%, while increasing the chance of mistakes by 50%.
Gary Keller, author of “One Thing,” lists four reasons for why
multi-tasking has no effect on improving productivity.
• First, it is time-consuming to focus on other tasks when the

flow of work is disrupted. From an efficiency standpoint,
switching tasks is not optimal.
• Second, the risk of not being able to return to important
tasks is greater when switching tasks.
• Third, more time is consumed to complete one task when
multi-tasking.
• Fourth, the chance of mistakes increases when simultane-
ously conducting multiple tasks. This is because it is diffi-
cult to prioritize important tasks when attention is divided.
Again, multi-tasking does not provide boost for efficiency and

results, but rather depreciates efficiency by distracting the mind.4
One must perform minimal work in order to most effectively con-
duct tasks. However, many people think in opposite terms. Since
people normally believe that huge success requires incredible
investment of time, they fill their calendars and to-do lists with
countless tasks and responsibilities. Yet, in reality, such actions do
not yield positive results. Huge success is often accompanied by
effectively performing a few, important tasks. If unaware of this
fact, one will only be able to complete the most trivial tasks.
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3. Chasing big dreams and purposes is risky, and thus decreases

productivity!
There is a tendency for people to avoid risky tasks during an eco-
nomic downturn. Due to such fears, there is a negative outlook towards
chasing after big dreams. Therefore, people chase after smaller
dreams and goals that have relatively high success rates. However,
they overlook the fact that small dreams only equate to small success.
If you follow big dreams and goals, then you begin to act and
make decisions completely different from when you settle for smaller
ones. You will break out of your shell of timidity and begin to see
through potential and results that you and others have failed to
notice. Furthermore, you will proceed with unmatched understand-
ing of the necessary models, systems, relationships, and habits in
order to attain your goals. Finally, you will soon realize that this pro-
cess of challenges and hardships is inevitable in the path to success.
What is Your “One Thing?”

Do not let trivial tasks waste your valuable time. Do not forget the
paradoxical truth about focusing on minimal tasks for greater
achievements. And so Gary Keller asks his readers.
“What is the one thing that when achieved, it makes other tasks
easier to complete, and even unnecessary?”
Through the “one thing” question, you will be able to pinpoint
the one most important task for your goals. Invest your valuable
time to realize that one thing. Success will blossom through your
life’s most important one thing.
I hope that by asking yourself this question and habitually
answering these one thing questions, you will perform tasks that
realize your most important values. As a result, you will achieve
your greatest success in the most important responsibilities.
• What is the one thing to increase your wealth? – Wealth

• What is the one thing to improve your company’s competi-
tiveness? – Entrepreneurship
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• What is the one thing to improve human relationships? –

Human relationships
• What is the one thing to decrease daily stress? – Quality
of life
• What is the one thing to succeed in weight loss? – Health
• What is the one thing to do to discover and affirm life’s
purpose? – Life
• What is the one thing to do to enjoy life’s best vacation?
– Leisure
• What is the one thing to increase your salary? – Occupation
Reinventing Life Through the “One Thing” Question

In some respect, success is like a game of dominoes. Just as other
pieces collapse with the fall of one domino, other important
tasks will sprout after succeeding one task like a chain reaction.
Therefore, you must not become complacent after one success, but
instead should ask yourself the “one thing” question everyday. How
can you habitualize the “one thing” question?
First, as yourself the “one thing” question for at least 67 days.
In his book “The Power of Habit,” Charles Duhigg reveals that
an action must be performed for at least 67 days in order to become
a habit.5 University College of London’s Jane Wardle defines habit
as an action that need not conscious decision and occurs with repet-
itive automaticity. In her thesis “How Do Habits Form,” she claims
that habits require on average 67 days to form.6 In other words, it
cannot be an overnight achievement. While difficult, let us not give
up and ask ourselves the “one thing” question for at least 67 days.
Then, you find yourself asking the question like second nature.
Second, focus on the one thing.
In order to focus on the one thing, you can establish remind-
ers. For example, you can jot these words on a post-it at work and
constantly remind yourself of the “one thing” question.
‘Other tasks are mere distractions in the face of accomplishing
the one task.”
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Third, apply the “one thing” question to all areas of your life.
The “one thing” question does not only apply to work related
to careers. Areas deemed most important to you, including busi-
nesses, research, human relationships, education, child rearing,
self-improvement, health, career advancements, hobbies, and lei-
sure will also witness improvements with dedicated, passionate
application of the “one thing” question.
If you were previously suffering from an insane, busy sched-
ule filled with trivial, immediate tasks, then you can reinvent your
life with the “one thing” question. Through the “one thing” ques-
tion, you will be able to perform important, prioritized actions
never experienced before. It will be awkward and difficult at first.
However, because it will undoubtedly guide your life to one filled
with development and purpose, I hope you will not give up and
dedicate yourself to this method.
Takeaways from the “One Thing” Question

1) Life led by purpose
To abide by the “one thing” method daily is to live life with a
defined purpose and direction. If the purpose and direction is
clearly defined, then you will be confident in the path you choose
and will correctly make wise, timely decisions when standing at
crossroads. This change will also bring astonishing accomplish-
ments and experiences to your life.
To desire and strive for happiness is a natural inclination and
a constitutional right of mankind. However, in their direct efforts
to seek only happiness in their lives, many people forego happi-
ness and instead fall victims to feelings of emptiness. Rick Warren,
the author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” states that one’s life and
career must be focused one a larger purpose in order to gain true
happiness.7 Through the “one thing” question, you can find the
one thing that becomes your motivation and passion. Furthermore,
the “one thing” question will guide you towards achieving your
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life’s goals. If you follow your one thing with conviction, then you
will certainly realize a happy, successful life.
Tony Stark, the most popular superhero of “The Avengers,”
and his alter ego “Iron Man” was modeled after Elon Musk, the
American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur. By investing all
of his profits from the co-founded online payment system called
PayPal, he founded Tesla, SpaceX, and Solar City. His current
wealth is estimated be around 12 billion dollars. Despite the tre-
mendous difficulties in creating one successful company, Musk
now successfully leads three such companies. What is the secret to
his success?
If Musk was ordinary, then he may have become complacent
after earning 100 million dollars through PayPal. However, he
refused to stop there. To Musk, there was one purpose, or his
one thing, that was to solve the problem of global warming, exac-
erbated by constant production and consumption of energy. To
achieve his purpose, he passionately worked fourteen hours a day
and 100 hours a week. It was his life of passion, led by purpose,
that proved to be the secret to his success.8 He once claimed:
“If you work passionately with a clear purpose in mind for four-
teen hours a day, then you will be able to complete tasks that would
take others a year to accomplish.”
2) Life with Priorities

As your purpose becomes more defined through the “one
thing” question, you will notice a difference in your attitude
towards trivial, insignificant work. Therefore, you will be able to
accomplish the most important tasks without regrets and wasted
valuable time.
Today, we live in a world of smartphones, spurred by Steve Jobs
and his accomplishments. In 2016, according to a survey of 45,435
people conducted by the Pew Research Center, 88% of the Korean
population owns smartphones, which ranks first in the world. Even
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more surprising is that all 100% of people between the ages of 18

to 34 owned smartphones. In 2014, according to a survey by the
Korea Internet & Security Agency, Koreans on average spend, on
daily average, two hours on mobile Internet, which also ranks first
in the world.
The world of smartphones indeed brought convenience to our
lives. However, it it is not without its side effects. This phenom-
enon is no different from the scenario depicted in Aldous Huxley’s
1932 novel “A Brave, New World.” People enjoy various forms of
entertainment, such as music, movies, and television shows, but
grow more distant from reading. Amidst such a trend, much valu-
able information continues to be lost among inundation of trivial,
worthless information. Many people invest their time focusing on
pleasurable, thrilling activities, and their time spent on actually
important activities that should be prioritized.9 In such a reality,
prioritization in life will become an increasingly difficult challenge.
Through continuous use of the “one thing” question, you can
live a life with both short- and long-term prioritization.
• Today: what is the one thing that I can do today to accom-

plish my daily goal?
• This week: what is the one thing that I can do this week to
accomplish this month’s goal?
• This month: what is the one thing I can do this month to
accomplish this year’s goal?
• This year: what is the one thing I can do this year to accom-
plish my 5 year goal?
• 5 years: what is the one thing I can do in the next five years
to accomplish my life’s goal?
Short-term and long-term goals are intricately intertwined. Through

constantly asking yourself the “one thing” questions, you can visu-
alize and strategize regarding tasks that should be prioritized.
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Embarking on this process is similar to traveling, during which

there are important milestones (important events or tasks) scat-
tered between the starting point and destination. The most priori-
tized purpose cannot be easily achieved in a short time. Important
purposes are comprised of important milestones, and only when
each milestone is achieved will you achieve your long term goal.
In addition, each milestone is achieved through ceaseless, daily
effort. Brian Tracy, who arose from nothing to become the CEO
of International, once said:
“My day begins at 6 o’clock every morning. I train my body by
jogging or swimming. Afterwards, I read for thirty minutes to an
hour to train my mind. Next, I write my goal for the day on a sheet
of paper, and rewrite those goals. I always live my days according
to the list I write down. In the previous day, I organize my respon-
sibilities for the next day as a list. I rank my tasks according to
their importance and make sure to finish the important task in
the morning when my productivity is at its peak. Even a minute or
a second is too valuable to me. Living this way, I can truly accom-
plish many tasks in a given day.”
As such, to plan is to materialize the future during the present.
3. The Most Effective Life Towards Success

To focus on one thing is to focus on your most important pur-
pose, or the one thing that you believe to be most valuable. Albert
E.N. Gray, who dedicated his life to find the common denomi-
nator among successful people, left this famous quote during his
talk titled, “The One Common Denominator Among People who
Succeed.”
“Successful people have a habit of performing tasks that unsuc-
cessful people despise doing. Of course, these people are no more
inclined to perform these undesirable tasks. However, they have
a respectable habit of controlling their emotions and focusing on
their goals in order to achieve their greatest purpose.”
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As a common trait, successful people are able to focus on their

most important purpose. Stephen Covey, the author of “The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People” illustrated numerous activities
of individuals, families, organizations, and societies according
their immediacy and importance by means of a matrix. His inves-
tigation revealed that the majority of people mostly performed
activities in the first and third quadrants of the matrix, suggesting
that they spend countless hours performing activities that require
urgency. In addition, people resort to performing unimportant,
non-urgent activities in the fourth quadrant, due to stress or lack
of motivation.
Time Management Matrix by Stephen Covey
Regardless of the long hours spent performing these activities, you

will only be stuck in a perpetual cycle of a busy life and will not be
able to achieve of life of prioritization. Furthermore, because these
activities are too exhilarating and filled with momentary pleasure,
your valuable time will erode away before you realize. According
to Stephen Covey, successful people, or those with highly effective
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productivity, will focus on tasks and purposes in the second quad-

rant, or activities with most importance and least urgency. Success
people will maximize their activities in the second quadrant, and
minimize activities in the first and third quadrants.10
If you develop a habit of constantly performing the one thing,
then your life will be filled with activities in the second quadrant,
or activities centered around one purpose, value, and belief. This
habit will prove to be integral in your success. While the second
quadrant activities are important, they tend to be ignored due
to low urgency. However, if you develop the habit of consistently
performing the one thing, then you will be able to easily reject
unimportant activities, and instead focus on the second quadrant
activities that will lead to your success.
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C HAP T E R 5
“WHY NOT,” THE QUESTION THAT

MAXIMIZES DETERMINATION
I n the history of sports, an “impassable wall” had always existed.

This wall refers to a record that can only be broken with god-
like abilities, and signifies the limits of mankind. The “impass-
able wall” adds incredible pressure to athletes. Nonetheless, ath-
letes pour their sweat and tears in order to overcome this wall. In
exchange, the crowd watches these athletes’ journey to break this
wall and feel vicarious satisfaction and undergo catharsis.
Since figure skating became an official Olympic event in 1908,
a score of “200” was considered the “impassable wall” for women’s
figure skating. To the extent that all athletes considered “200” to
be a score possible only in dreams, this wall stood firm for a hun-
dred years. Perhaps these athletes did not even fathom passing such
an insurmountable score…However, history of figure skating was
rewritten in 2009. Korea’s Yuna Kim scored a historic 207.1 to win at
the ISU World Figure Skating Championship. After becoming the
first female athlete to surpass the “impassable wall” of 200, she said:
“There is greater meaning in the fact that I surpassed a psycho-
logical limit within in the minds of all athletes and judges.”
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Yuna Kim at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics
Since Kim passed the “wall,” surprises continued to happen in fig-

ure skating as if by magic. Many athletes, left and right, began
surpassing the score of 200. At the 2009 Grand Prix Trophy Eric
Bonparte, Kim dominated the event with a score of 210.03, and at
the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she passed her own world
record with an otherworldly score of 228.56. Asada Mao scored a
205.50 to score above the “wall” for the first time, and Ando Miki
scored her best record with a 201.34 at the 2011 Four Continents
Figure Skating Championships. Afterwards, from 2014 to 2016,
Russia’s Yulia Lipnitskaya, Adelina Sotnikova, Evgenia Medvedeva,
Anna Pogorilaya, and Yelena Radionova all scored above 200. In
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addition, Italy’s Carolina Kostner and Japan’s Miyahara Satoko

also surpassed 200.
Similar phenomenon can also be observed in track and field. As
early as the 1970s, people considered running 100 meters under 10
seconds as an impossible feat. However, in 1983, the United States’
Calvin Smith ran the 100 meters at 9.93 seconds at the US Olympic
Festival Competition, becoming the first man to break down the
wall considered to be at 10 seconds. As the news spread across the
world, countless runners began to be break the 10 second barrier.
The United States’ Carl Lewis and Canada’s Ben Johnson both
broke 10 seconds, and repeatedly broke the other’s world records
to set new ones. Now, most runners hold personal records under
9 seconds, with the current world record standing at 9.58 seconds
set by Usain Bolt.
The “Why Not” Question and Determination

Why is it that once one athlete breaks through the “impassable
wall,” others follow suit and succeed in surpassing this limit?
Unless doping was involved, this phenomenon can be explained
not by physical causes, but by psychological reasons. Once the psy-
chological limits, or the wall, crumbles due to one competitor, oth-
ers begin to believe that they, too, can surpass the limit. In other
words, they begin to ask themselves “why not,” or “if others can do
it, why can’t I?” Afterwards, they begin to form positive thoughts
about how they can achieve similar, or even greater, results. “Why
not” questions breathe courage and faith in oneself, and allow one
to accomplish their goals by encouraging motivation and deter-
mined attitude.
The “Why Not” Question and Great Leaders

Even when operating a business with a perfect plan, it is inevitable
that challenges surface during the process. Initial plans go awry
in the process of facing such challenges and striving to resolve
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these problems. In addition, situations in which risky decisions

must be made in order to reap higher rewards and profits. You
may also encounter once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to relocate
to a new environment to achieve your values and purposes. In
such situations, there is an ability most critical for success. It is the
strength to achieve your values and purpose with self-propelled
faith, driven by fearlessness in the face of uncertainties of the
future and resilience despite hardships. Such strength is known
as determination.
Great leaders are those who transformed societies by achieving
their purpose and values with determination. However, there is
a popular misconception regarding these great leaders. It is that
these individuals overcame difficulties all by themselves with their
own ingenuity, creativity and determination, without the help of
others. This misconception cannot be more wrong. It is absolutely
true that there is no single leader who succeeded on their own
without the influence from others. In reality, great leaders share a
common trait in which they humbly learned from other great lead-
ers’ success and wisdom. Using others’ success as the basis, these
leaders learned to view the world with diverse perspectives and
took action to realize greater values and purposes. They boldly
challenged themselves by tirelessly studying previous success sto-
ries and constantly asking themselves “why not?”
Pablo Picasso revealed that good artists copy and great artists
steal. In other words, great artists will absorb other great works
of art and reinvent them into greater art. Isaac Newton, who gave
birth to modern science, claimed that he was able to acquire
greater horizons of the world because he stood on the shoulders of
extraordinary giants in science. If it were not for his predecessors,
like Galileo Galilei, who dedicated their lives to reveal their inves-
tigations to the world, Newton and his Laws of Motion would not
have existed. Furthermore, Albert Einstein, hailed as the icon of
modern physics, applied the Newtonian laws to discover theories
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of special relativity and general relativity, considered to be the

world’s greatest theories in physics.
Renowned for his investing acumen, Warren Buffet said that
“one of the biggest mistakes committed by fledgling entrepreneurs
is to think that they have unique, never-before-seen ideas in their
minds.” In addition, he warned that never-before-seen ideas can
actually be an omen and may not forebode well, perhaps because
there is no demand for the idea in the market.
The world’s wealthiest individuals are those who were inspired
by preexisting ideas, and instead reinvented these ideas. They are
not initiators, but rather anchors of the race. They were able to
reap greater success over the initiators.
The Story of Facebook

On February 4, 2004, then 19-year old Mark Zuckerberg launched a
social network service called “thefacebook” in his ‘H33’ of Kirkland
House dormitory at Harvard. On the first day of its launch, 650
Harvard undergraduates signed up and in three weeks, over half
of the student body registered, totaling over 6,000 users. In June of
that same year, Zuckerberg received investments from Peter Thiel,
the co-founder of PayPal, and relocated his company to Palo Alto,
California. Afterwards, he changed his company name from “the-
facebook” to a simpler “Facebook.”
In March of 2005, Facebook launched its service in Stanford
University, Columbia University, and Yale University, and soon
expanded its reach to the Ivy Leagues and colleges and high
schools of the United States and Canada.
In September of 2006, Facebook allowed anyone with an email
address to register and spread its network across the globe. Now,
over 1.5 billion people use Facebook globally, and the company’s
net worth is estimated to be over $279 billion.
Surprisingly, Mark Zuckerberg did not create Facebook from
nothing, but rather began by emulating a previously existing
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social network service. At the time, there were other social net-
works, including Friendster and MySpace. Even at Harvard, there
was a social network called Harvard Connection already in use.
In November of 2003, the founders of Harvard Connection,
Cameron and Tyler Winkleboss, were seeking a competent pro-
grammer with a purpose of expanding their service to all universi-
ties of the world. In their search, they came across none other than
Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg had been suspended from school due
to the Facemash incident, and his fame had already grown ram-
pant. The Winkleboss twins revealed Harvard Connection’s pro-
gramming codes, values, and purpose to Zuckerberg. Afterwards,
Zuckerberg began to program for the twins. However, in three
months, what Zuckerberg released to the world was not Harvard
Connection, but instead “thefacebook.”1 What happened in those
three months? Zuckerberg indeed performed the tasks given to
him by Harvard Connection. However, in the process, he asked
himself “why not?”
“Why can’t it be me? Is there a reason as to why I myself can’t
create the best social network?”
Zuckerberg was familiar with the popularity of previously suc-
cessful Friendster, MySpace, and other blogging websites. However,
in his eyes, there still was no trustworthy community in which
information was conveniently shared. Like Cyworld of Korea,
Friendster and MySpace provided a platform in which individuals
decorated their own page with profiles, posts, pictures, and other
media contents, treating the space as their own, personalized web-
site. While these platforms had an advantage of providing flashy,
personalized home pages, it relatively lacked the ability to easily
connect users and create an online community through sharing
of information. Zuckerberg decided to focus on this deficiency.
He designed his service by emphasizing simplification and consis-
tency among all individual profiles. In addition, he allowed easy
searches for friends and acquaintances so that anyone can easily
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build a large community. Furthermore, he installed the News Feed

capability so that people can instantaneously share posts, pictures,
and other media contents. These differences proved to be the keys
to differentiate Facebook from other social networks and lead it to
success.
The “Why Not” Question – Transforming Bystanders to

Torch Bearers
In the world of business, it is a myth that anyone with a completely
new idea can become wealthy. Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Apple’s
Steve Jobs modeled most of their ideas by emulating IBM’s latest
technology and reinventing them. Warren Buffet created his own
investment strategies by learning and emulating the strategies of
Benjamin Graham. Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, applied
the idea of the automobile assembly line from Ford and created a
new concept of “fast food.”
Similar applications can also be observed in other fields. The
NBA’s Kobe Bryant emulated Michael Jordan, widely known as the
“King of the Court.” Martin Luther King Jr., who is the symbol of
the African American Rights Movement, was deeply inspired and
emulated Pastor Benjamin Mace, who led the African-American
Civil Rights Movement. Even in Ancient Greece, Aristotle emu-
lated Plato, and Plato emulated Socrates.
Such influential leaders did not live as bystanders, but became
torch bearers through constant learning and emulating. They
always asked themselves, “why not,” and advanced with determina-
tion and belief that they, too, can do it.
Therefore, it is important for you to always learn with humility,
and going further, asking yourself, “why not me” and “why not?” If
you do so, you will transform from a bystander to a torch bearer,
and will blaze a new future with unwavering faith and determina-
tion like the great leaders. Hee Don Lee, the vice-governor of the
World Trade Center Association, once said:
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“If you hear stories of successful leaders but do not apply them
to your life, then you are living a life irrelevant to success.”
The “Why Not” Question and History of Rivalries

It is not exaggeration to claim that the history of development
in science, technology, and communication in the past hundred
years was expedited by competition among rivalries. Some of
these rivalries include competition between Edison and Tesla in
developing electrical technology, competition between the Wright
Brothers and Curtis to develop flight technology, the competition
between Oppehheimer and Heisenberg to develop the atom bomb
during World War II, the competition between Von Brown and
Sergei Koralev in developing space rockets, and Phylo Farnsworth
and David Sanoff’s competition to develop the television. These
rivals in their respective fields acknowledged the other’s brilliance
and constantly asked themselves the “why not” question, such as
“why can’t it happen” and “is there any reason that I can’t invent
a superior technology?” With unparalleled level of determination,
they participated in their rivalries with war-like attitudes, and as a
result provided humanity with invaluable inventions.
The era of digitization and personal computers as we know of
did not arrive peacefully. This era was born from an exhilarating
rivalry forged by a love-hate relationship between Apple’s innova-
tor, Steve Jobs, and Microsoft’s then-young programmer named
Bill Gates.2 Until a company named MITS created a miniaturized
microprocessor computer called the “Altair 8800” for the masses
in 1974, the concept of personal computers did not exist. However,
unlike the modern personal computer, the Altair 8800 did not have
a keyboard or a monitor, nor was it accompanied with an operat-
ing system that assists users for easier accessibility. In December
of 1974, upon hearing about the news of the Altair 8800, Harvard
undergrad named Bill Gates predicted that an operating system
will prove critical for the development of the personal computer.
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He could not let others realize the vision he had, and thus dropped
out of school to start Microsoft.
At the same time, the effort to popularize computers was not
limited to Bill Gates and his initiatives. In 1975, another dropout
from San Francisco named Steve Jobs serendipitously visited his
friend Steve Wozniak’s house, who harbored interests in comput-
ers and electronics. Wozniak showed Jobs a microprocessor that he
created, as well as a device that was connected to a keyboard and a
monitor. Mesmerized by the machine, Jobs imagined a computer
not restricted to computer experts and those with interests in com-
puters, but one that would be easily accessible to the public. He
began to think about how to transform this idea into a business.
Finally, he founded Apple with Wozniak, and launched ‘Apple I’
and ‘Apple II,” two predecessors of today’s personal computers.
Specifically, the ‘Apple II’ boasted accessibility easily achieved by
any user. Thanks to an advanced processor, graphics technology,
and innovative design unmatched by any of its counterparts, the
‘Apple II’ reaped $8 million in one month after its release.
Observing the successes of the ‘Apple II,’ Bill Gates experi-
enced his “why not” moment. To his eyes, the Apple II’s program-
ming lacked compatibility with most of the software created for
business purposes. He believed that he can achieve comparable
success to that of Apple II if he can develop a superior program
that can improve upon the deficiencies of Apple II regarding com-
patibility with business software. He created a soft card, or a chip
that can be inserted into the Apple II’s main board for business
software operability, and sold it to Apple, which led to incredible
profits for both Apple and Microsoft. Afterwards, Gates began
to develop a further improved operating system by collaborating
with IBM, which strove to enter the personal computer market by
means of a computer operating system. As a result, the ‘MS-DOS’
operating system that Microsoft developed and sold was able to be
used with any personal computer. In the end, Microsoft garnered
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era-defining profits and wielded authority powerful enough to

reshape the personal computer industry.
Upon witnessing Gates’ success, Steve Jobs also experienced his
own “why not” moment. In response to the MS-DOS, he created
McIntosh, the first system that operated with a graphic user inter-
face and allowed users to easily use its programs with the use of
the keyboard and a mouse. Afterwards, he introduced the develop-
ing McIntosh to Bill Gates, a man he considered his friend. Upon
the introduction of the McIntosh, Gates was struck with shock
and experienced “Why Not?” epiphany, and decided to create an
operating system with a better graphic user interface. As a result,
Steve Jobs introduced the McIntosh to the world, and Gates simul-
taneously launched his Windows operating system. Jobs consid-
ered Gates’ Windows endeavor to be a personal betrayal and was
furious, while the McIntosh suffered precipitous decline in sales,
resulting in exit from his own company and hardships. With Jobs
ousted from the PC market, Windows became the standard oper-
ating system across the world, and Gates reaped incredible wealth
and fame. However, he faced numerous legal disputes regarding
market monopolization and dubious marketing strategies, which
earned him the image of a “sleazy entrepreneur” among American
consumers.
For twelve years without Jobs, Apple continued its downfall with-
out much innovation and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Finally,
the board of Apple requested Jobs to return as its CEO, and he
returned to Apple in 1997. In order to resuscitate his company, Jobs
emphasized unique, technical innovation, but such an initiative
required massive capital. Ironically, he requests help from Gates,
his long, bittersweet rival. For Gates, who suffered from his image
as a cold monopolist, the fall of Apple meant that there would
be no competition left for him. Thus, Gates invested $1.5 billion
in Apple, and with an infusion of capital, Apple created ground-
breaking products, such as the iMac, iPod, and the iPhone, which
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allowed Apple to rise as one of the most profitable companies in

the world. Meanwhile, Gates founded a world-renowned charity
foundation to return his massive wealth to society. Through these
efforts, Gates transformed his negative image as a monopolist to a
genuine philanthropist.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at D5: All Things Digital conference
Why not and Man-on-the-moon Principle

In 2004, Professor Christopher Xi and the research team of
Professor Zhao Zhang reported on contrast bias that commonly
exists within human recognition and thinking capacity. According
to their report, contrast bias is the tendency within human cogni-
tion to positively or negatively evaluate something when compared
to another. In other words, human cognition does not happen on
an absolute standard. For example, when choosing a marriage
partner based on superior looks, people will evaluate such criteria
by comparing with others with inferior physical appearances. In
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addition, people will work harder when their wage is compared

with lower wages of others.
Tai Lopez, speaker of TED and investor, claimed that an effec-
tive use of such contrast bias can lead to greater health, wealth,
human relationships, and happiness, and suggested the “Man on
the Moon” principle. The principle states that when faced with
hesitancy in striving towards an insurmountable task or goal, com-
paring such challenges to a far more difficult task will make the
former far less daunting.
The project to send man to the moon signified the ultimate
success of mankind’s scientific endeavors across thousands of
years. To achieve this success, people used the latest, state-of-the-
art technology in physics, chemistry, geology, biology, material sci-
ence, heat dynamics, electrical, and computer engineering. Finally,
on July 24 1969, mankind succeeded in launching the Apollo 11
with Neil Armstrong (captain), Michael Collins (commanding ship
pilot), and Buzz Oldlin (landing craft pilot) landing on the moon.
If mankind succeeded in the Man-on-the-Moon project, who
is to say that there truly is an insurmountable task? Why not? Why
can’t you? You can also succeed.
Alexander the Great once said that there are two kinds of man.
There are those who have overcome their fears, and there are oth-
ers who perish under fear and suffering. One of the best way to
overcome fear is to apply the “Man-on-the-Moon” principle. When
comparing one’s own fears to others overcoming their difficulties,
one will think “why not?” and find determination to overcome fear.
The “Man-on-the Moon” principle can be applied to various fac-
ets of life, ranging from health, wealth, human relationships, and
happiness. When Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Hollywood star and
former governor of California, was 15, he passed by a book store
and serendipitously ran cross a magazine cover that portrayed a
legendary bodybuilder Reggie Park in his movie “Hercules.” At that
moment, the life of a farm boy from Austria took a life-changing
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turn. He considered Reggie Park as his role model and idol, and
began to mimic all parts of his idol’s life, including his actions,
gestures, diet, lifestyle, and exercise regiments.
In his autobiography “Total Recall,” Schwarzenegger recalls
his meeting with Reggie Park. When Schwarzenegger was a body-
builder in his youth, he had weaker calves compared to his other
body parts. When performing calf raises, he was merely limited to
200 pounds. Schwarzenegger asked Park how he can strengthen
his calves like his idol. To his question, Park simply replied,
“That’s easy. You just need to raise 1,000 pounds, five times
your current limit.”
Upon hearing his response, Schwarzenegger was awestruck.
Schwarzenegger had always considered 200 pounds to be his limit
and had never tried to surpass this number. When Park demon-
strated his calf strength by lifting 500 pounds, Schwarzenegger
was immediately able to lift 500 pounds, and when Park showed
him lifting 1,000 pounds the next day, Schwarzenegger too was
able to lift 1,000 pounds. In this instance, Schwarzenegger had
successfully applied the “Man-on-the-Moon” principle after wit-
nessing his role model’s abilities.
There is a saying that one’s salary is the average of those of one’s
five closest friends. Many people will try to associate themselves with
those who are similar to them, and resist learning from those who
have superior abilities or better circumstances. Association with
similar people will make application of the contrast bias impos-
sible, and personal growth will consequently become difficult.
What is your dream? What is your desired goal? If you believe
that your goal is unattainable, then learn from those who have
achieved similar or greater goals. Then, you will naturally apply
the “Man-on-the-Moon” principle and be able to achieve once
daunting and seemingly impossible goals.
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C HAP T E R 6
QUESTIONS THAT MAXIMIZE

CRITICAL THINKING
E verybody thinks. It is man’s natural tendency to do so. However,

most of our thoughts are one-sided, rely on partial and simplistic
ideas, and trapped within biases and uncritical views and rules
of society. In other words, while everyone possesses the ability to
think, their thoughts will remain unstable with many faults with
no effort to further develop this ability. The quality of life and
productivity depends on our ability to think. We must develop and
continue to improve our critical thinking.
What is critical thinking? Many scholars in various fields,
including psychology, education, cognitive science, have indepen-
dently defined critical thinking. Michael Scriven and Richard Paul
defined critical thinking as follows:
“Critical thinking is a process of intellectual training, in which
information undergoes a flexible process of conceptualization,
application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. It is also a process
in which information is acquired and created by means of observa-
tion, experience, reflection, anticipation, and conversation.”
Scriven and Paul stressed that anyone can learn to think critically
through proper training.1
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Dian F. Halpem, a former president of the US Psychology

Association, defined critical thinking as:
“a method of thinking to gain positive results, such as a logical
conclusion, correct decision making, and effective persuasion and
conversation.”
He asserts that critical thinking must be learned in order to
derive desired results and success. In addition, he claims that many
people do not receive proper education in critical thinking, and
are thus in a position in which their critical thinking cannot be
effectively developed.2
People who are adept at critical thinking conduct very high
level thinking, as well as lead fair, reasoned lives. They accurately
understand and face reality that people’s thoughts are full of faults,
and thus must develop the ability to think critically. Therefore,
they diligently study ways to analyze, evaluate, and reform their
thoughts. They dedicate their lives’ efforts to create a positive soci-
ety that champions fairness and civility.
Seven Benefits of Critical Thinking

The first benefit of critical thinking is that it becomes an incred-
ible asset to your career. The ability to think clearly and logically
has great impact on your work, regardless of its type. Whether your
field of work lies in education, research, finance, management, law,
science, or others, critical thinking proves to be essential. Critical
thinking aids you to approach problems with structure and eclec-
tic perspectives. Such thinking becomes an important foundation
for your excellence and success.
Second, critical thinking helps you to adjust to an intellec-
tual society. The world today and its society rooted in intellect is
attracted to enormous amount of constantly changing informa-
tion. Therefore, the ability to quickly acclimate and respond to
such shifts in information is integral for success. Critical think-
ing allows good analysis and evaluation of information, helping to
integrate new information and resolve problems.
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Third, critical thinking stimulates your creativity. New ideas

are not enough to creatively solve problems. You must be able to
evaluate and determine how useful and applicable new ideas are
to solving problems. Critical thinking enables you to evaluate new
ideas and selectively apply the best ideas.
Fourth, creative thinking is very helpful for self-reflection. In
order to live a meaningful, constructive life, you must be able to
reflect upon your values, actions, and decisions. Critical thinking
helps you to self-assess and evaluate, thus allowing self-reflection.
Fifth, critical thinking elevates your academic achievements.
Linda Elder, an education psychologist, claims that students with
well-developed critical thinking easily finds links between contents
that they learn, and are able to easily apply the acquired knowledge
to reality.3 Furthermore, these students understand concepts at a
deeper, more sophisticated level. Success of today’s higher education
depends on the most important standard of “how independently can
students think for themselves.” Critical thinking helps students to
analyze expansive amount of information within a logical framework
and persuasively convey their independently deduced thoughts.
Sixth, critical thinking assists you to make the right deci-
sions. Through critical thinking, you can consider all possible
options before making a decision or acting upon it. In addition,
you can distinguish between reasoned and emotional thoughts.
Through differentiation, you can prevent yourself from becoming
entrenched in personal biases and conventionalities. Not only does
critical thinking help you understand your own views, but it also
facilitates understanding and comprehensive evaluation of others’
perspectives. These benefits lead you to make the right decisions.
Finally, critical thinking strengthens teamwork by transforming
you into a better team player. When working in a team, it is inevitable
that there will be various solutions to a problem. In these situations,
critical thinking allows you to be more attentive to others’ ideas and
enables appropriate understanding and evaluation of them. Naturally,
such logical thinking contributes greatly to team success.
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Thirteen Questions that Maximize Critical Thinking

Let us now examine the questions that develop and improve critical
thinking. These questions will improve the elements that comprise
critical thinking, such as comprehension, application, analysis,
integration, evaluation, deduction, induction, adduction, refuta-
tion, balanced thinking, causal reasoning, ethical reasoning, and
creative thinking.4,5
1. Questions for Comprehension

These questions help to transform unrefined informa-
tion into meaningful ones. During his lectures, Richard
Feynman, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics, explains
phenomenon ordinarily encountered by his students. From
the insights gathered from the ordinary events, he natu-
rally shifts to explain high-level concepts in physics. This
method allows students to deeply understand concepts in
physics once considered too complex. His unique lecturing
technique is a result of trying to understand and express
difficult concepts in his own way since young age.
• How can you explain _____ in your own words?
• What are some real examples of _____?
• How can you visually express _____?
• How can you teach _____ to others?
2. Questions for Application

These questions help you to apply abstract, theoretical con-
cepts to real situations
• How can you use _____?
• How can you demonstrate _____ in real situations?
• How can you apply _____ to detailed course of action?
• If _____ lacks realistic applicability, what is the reason?
• What is the relationship between _____ and _____?
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3. Questions for Analysis

These questions help you dissect information into smaller
parts and understand the relationship between these parts
and the whole.
• What are the components and their characteristics of
_____?
• What is the most important factor among the com-
ponents and ideas that comprise _____?
• What is the assumption/fact that underlies _____?
• Among its different components, what are some sim-
ilarities and differences when compared to _____?
• What is the relationship between _____ and its over-
all plan, design, assertion, and conclusion?
• How are _____ and _____ similar? How are they
different?
• Why is _____ important?
4. Questions for Integration

These questions assist in collecting and linking dispersed
information to create bigger, more complex patterns. For
example, through integration questions, one can integrate
ethical concepts learned from philosophy classes and mar-
keting concepts from management classes to think about
ethical guidelines within business marketing and sales.
• How can an idea integrate with _____ to create _____?
• How can disparate ideas integrate to develop into a
more applicable concept?
• Which ideas can be added to _____?
• How can disparate _____ be reconstructed and reorga-
nized so that they help to understand the big picture?
• How can contrasting ideas of _____ and _____ be inte-
grated to yield results that complement each other?
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5. Questions for Evaluation

These questions help to critically evaluate the facts, rele-
vance to purpose, and aesthetics of ideas, data, and prod-
ucts through application of appropriate standards.
• What are the important standards to evaluate _____?
• How can accuracy/ingenuity of _____ be deter-
mined? What are the standards?
• Through its results, what impact will the evaluation
of _____ have on people?
• Through _____, what have you learned, acquired,
and achieved?
• Did _____ achieve its initial objectives?
• If _____ was not compatible with the goals and
assumptions, what were the reasons?
• In the process of _____, what worked and what did
not? How can you rectify it?
• How can you evaluate the results of _____ with ethi-
cal or aesthetic standards?
• Can the results of _____ be repeated?
6. Questions for Deduction

These questions help to deduce logically consistent and
applicable concepts, as well as deduce the conclusion from
the premise
• What conclusion can be drawn from a generalized
_____?
• If _____ is true, then what is the following logical
result?
• If the results of _____ are false, then is our general
concept and premise also false?
• What are some actions or examples that adhere to
the generalized _____?
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7. Questions for Induction

These questions help to derive general concepts from per-
sonal or detailed accounts. Through this effort, you can
develop the ability to apply a concept learned from one
event to another circumstance.
• What are some shared patterns or topics between
_____ and _____?
• What is the more important and general meaning
that can be extracted from _____?
• What is the broader concept implied within _____?
8. Questions for Adduction

These questions strengthen your argument by allowing
collection of evidence that support your assertions and
research results.
• What is the evidence to support _____?
• What is the logical reasoning behind the evidence
supporting _____?
• What are the existing research reports or results
that back _____?
• Is there consistency between the results of _____ and
already existing data?
9. Questions for Refutation

In contrast to questions for adduction, these questions help
you to find evidence and accounts that refute your asser-
tions and research results.
• What is the evidence that refutes _____?
• What is the logical reasoning behind the evidence
refuting _____?
• What are some research reports or results that con-
trast with the results of _____?
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10. Questions for Balanced Thinking

These questions help to think about arguments, evidence,
and issues with diverse perspectives.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of _____?
• What are some evidence that support or refute _____?
• What are some reasons to recommend or not recom-
mend _____?
• How can the conclusion of _____ be derived by using
different methods?
• Who are some people that support or refute _____?
What is the basis of their understanding?
• What did other sources (books, magazines, newspa-
pers, theses) claim about _____?
• How do people of different races and nationalities
think about _____?
• How do people of different socioeconomic back-
grounds think about _____?
• How do people of different age groups and gender
think about _____?
11. Questions for Causal Reasoning

These questions help to understand the causal relationship
between different ideas and actions.
• How can you explain the causes for _____?
• What is the cause for _____?
• What is the decisive factor that caused _____?
• What impact does _____ have on _____?
12. Questions for Ethical Reasoning

These questions help to understand the ethics behind cer-
tain ideas, actions, and attitudes.
• How will people react to _____?
• Is the process for _____ within the ethical boundar-
ies and rules of society?
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• Is the promise for _____ actually being realized with

the attitude of service?
13. Questions for Creative Thinking

These questions help to acquire unique ideas, perspectives,
innovative strategies, and new approaches for existing enti-
ties. It also helps you to consider the realistic probability of
how your new idea.
• What would occur if _____ happened? (what if question)
• What must be developed for _____?
• What is an analogy appropriate for _____?
• Can this idea be applied to detailed situations like
_____?
• What are the differentiating factors of this idea com-
pared to existing ones?
Open-ended Questions and Critical Thinking

The aforementioned questions have one thing in common. It is
that they are not closed, but rather open-ended. Closed questions
elicit limited responses, such as “yes” or “no.” In contrast, open-
ended questions include interrogative words, such as ‘who, what
how many/how much/when, where, how, and why,’ and these
words require that the responder think about many possibilities
before providing an answer. Closed questions involve convergent
thinking, while open-ended questions require divergent thinking.
In order to develop critical thinking, the ability to effectively ask
open-ended questions is essential. This ability can be learned, and
will be further honed with increased effort. Dan Rothstein asserts
that by using his question formation technology, one can gradu-
ally improve their ability to question and develop critical thinking.
The first step to question formation technology is to select one
focus of topic. The second step is to formulate questions about that
focus. However, there is one important principle to follow. You must
ask as many questions as possible, and not stop answering those
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questions. Also, you must write down all of the questions. You must
then rephrase all concepts or propositions about the topic into ques-
tions. The third step is to categorize the questions. You must evaluate
whether these questions are open-ended or closed. If they are open-
ended, then mark them as “O(Open)” and “C(Closed)” if they are
closed. The fourth step is to prioritize the open-ended questions. You
must distinguish the most important, interesting, and desirable ques-
tions to answer. Through this question formation technology, you will
be able to develop the ability to ask excellent open-ended questions.6
To Think Critically Using Visual Tools

Comprehensive, creative, and insightful critical thinking is possible
by using various visual tools, such as charts, graphs, flow charts, and
timelines. Such use of tools is analogous to the use of both the left
and right sides of our brain. Critical thinking by using visual tools
fully activates both lobes of the brain, and enables high level thinking.
The greatest advantage to using visual tools is that anyone
can easily perform it only with a pen and paper. Even if one
does not know how to use professional software, such as Excel or
Powerpoint, one can devise advanced visual tools with only the fol-
lowing shapes and lines:
1) Critical Thinking using charts and graphs

The basic structure of charts is comprised of ‘compared enti-
ties’ and ‘quantity/degree.’ Then what are these compared entities
and how can ‘quantity/degree’ be expressed. As mentioned above,
questions for critical thinking are formulated through open-ended
question words, such as ‘who/what, how much, where, when, how,
and why.’ Similarly, the compared entities and ‘quantity/degree’
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can also be acquired through open-ended questions. For example,

when examining the open-ended question “how has Korea’s inter-
national trade changed over time?,” we can see that the compared
entity is year. Also, the quantity/degree is defined as dollars or won.
As another example, in the question ‘how many foreigners reside
in Korea,’ we can see that the compared entity is ‘nationality’ and
the quantity is ‘number of people.’
The components of graphs are very similar to charts, but can be

freely and diversely expressed as pictures compared to charts.
With the use of charts and graphs, data can be displayed so that
they can be understood with one glance. Visually appealing charts
and graphs, without any analysis, do not help critical thinking. For
comprehensive and creative critical thinking, one must be able to
analyze the patterns and inflections within data expressed as charts
and graphs, while being able to predict based on these insights.
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For instance, let us examine the previous example of “how has

Korea’s international trade changed over time.” You will notice
two patterns and one inflection. The first pattern is that the total
amount of trade had decreased from 2005 and 2008, and the sec-
ond is the amount increased from 2009 to 2011. After noticing the
first pattern, you may ask yourself of the reason for this decline
and analyze the reason. With the second pattern, you may wonder
the reason for this increase and formulate measures that include
the necessities for continued increase in trade. In addition, you
may view 2008 as the lone deficit year as a point of curiosity. You
can then investigate specific incidents that contributed to the defi-
cit in 2008 (the deficit was due to the financial crisis caused by the
collapse of major banks, including Lehman Brothers).
2) Critical thinking using flow charts / timelines.

Today’s students and corporate employees must complete count-
less projects and tasks. When studying or working, the two ques-
tions most commonly asked are ‘how can I accomplish this task’ and
‘when can I complete this task?’ The first ‘how’ question relates to
flowcharts, while the second ‘when’ question is relevant to timelines.
Flowcharts are visual tools that help visualize the flow of the task
with one swooping look. Each step of the task is expressed with
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basic shapes and arrows display how the previous task impacts the
next task. These steps allow flowcharts to depict all possibilities of
the task from its initial step to the final destination. For example, as
seen from the above example, the initial step of scientific research
is ‘forming assumption’ based on observations and research data,
while the final step is to confirm the assumption. In order to con-
firm the assumptions, researchers perform the “experimentation’
step, and once the acquired data confirms the assumption, the
results are published in a thesis.
Flowcharts help to comprehensively evaluate the various steps invol

ved in the project, and prevent the project from deviating off course.
Furthermore, it enables projects to be creatively completed by encour-
aging to think about all possibilities when executing the project.
Meanwhile, in order to accomplish the project’s goals, each team

member must collaborate well with one another and complete
their given tasks in given time with dedication. To help realize
these necessities, timelines are effective. As seen from the above
picture, the arrows of the timeline indicate each step of the proj-
ect, and the squares represent each team member. By using circles,
each member’s tasks are displayed in accordance with their dead-
lines. Through timelines, team members can effectively complete
their tasks with the holistic picture in mind.
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C HAP T E R 7
QUESTIONS THAT MAXIMIZE SELF-REFLECTION
T oday, people are exposed to various psychological maladies

due to overwhelming stress caused by excessive work, relation-
ships, careers, and risks stemming from sociological, economic,
and political affairs. Many people are in a state of perpetual leth-
argy. In addition, about twenty percent of the population suffers
from sleep disorders, such as insomnia, irregular behaviors when
sleeping, and sleepiness during the day. There is a consistent rise
in the number of people who are constantly tense and worried
without reason, and as a result suffer from neuroticism or men-
tal breakdowns. Increasingly, people cannot escape long-term
depression and negative thoughts, leading to suicidal thoughts
or attempts to commit suicide. It is accepted that the majority of
people today suffer from such psychological disorders at least once
in their lives. Due to its prevalence, some label psychological disor-
ders as “cold of the mind.”
Seoul National University Hospital reported that 80-90 percent
of psychological disorders can be fully cured with psychiatric help
and proper medication. According to the Hospital, psychological
disorders are not incurable, but can be overcome. However, the num-
ber of people who suffer from such disorders continues to rise. Why?
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First, it is due to the sociocultural bias towards psychologi-

cal disorders. Rosalynn Carter, the former First Lady during the
Jimmy Carter administration, once claimed:
“Treatment for psychological disorders has vastly improved.
However, the prejudice towards psychological disorders that fos-
ter embarrassment and shame is reversing the progress of such
treatments.”
As can be seen, society’s wrongful recognition of psychological
disorders as shameful illnesses to reveal is impeding the progress
of treatment.
Second, the number of sufferers continues to increase
because it is difficult to escape the perpetual cycle of negativ-
ity once immersed in it. David Burns, the author of “Feeling
Good,” reveals that many people suffering from psychologi-
cal disorders are entrenched in a fatal lethargy cycle. In other
words, self-defeating thoughts lead to self-defeating actions, and
these actions arouse self-defeating emotions. Such emotions then
evoke more self-defeating thoughts, thus forming a cycle of leth-
argy. Once trapped in this cycle, people live in a chaotic state of
sadness, confusion, fear, disappointment, guilt, and depression,
without any breathing room to think about the problem and its
solutions.1
When sufferers visit counselors, the counselor ask many ques-
tions to the patients. The reason for asking many questions is not
just to satiate their curiosity. Rather, it is to encourage the patients
to perform deeper self-reflection and seek desired answers and
solutions.
Excellent counselors will ask good questions and patiently
wait in silence. However, most patients will answer that “they have
thought about it, but they still don’t know” to the initial ques-
tion. Why? It is not because they truly do not know the answer,
but rather because they are not accustomed to asking themselves
questions and thinking about the answer. Barrie Davenport, an
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American counselor, claims that when patients answer they do not

know, encouraging and waiting further will allow most patients to
ultimately find the answer on their own. She says that:
“The answer always lies within the patients. The most impor-
tant responsibility of a coach is to ask them good questions and to
wait until the answer surfaces.”
Most people do not allot time to ask themselves important
questions and answer them. Actually, it is uncomfortable to ask
oneself questions that may be irritating. Some questions expose
one’s weaknesses so blatantly that they are difficult to face without
the guidance of a counselor. However, there are many questions
that greatly help to self-discover one’s own desires, hopes, and
motivation. By training to ask these questions, your daily quality of
life will be reformed and enhanced, thus transforming your life.
Furthermore, you may be able to find internal values once hid-
den, but prove to be indispensable in your life. You can live a life
in which you can identify happiness, those closest to you, and be
actively thankful for the things you have. Negative thoughts arous-
ing from depression and lethargy are like oil floating on water; it
does not let you see the beauty that lies beneath the murkiness.
Through the process of asking yourself good questions and answer-
ing them, you can scrape the oil from the water and discover posi-
tive qualities within yourself. You will then experience your own
“Eureka!” moment.
Of course, visiting a counselor or a coach to learn about your-
self and how to live will be most effective. However, it does not
mean that self-counseling has no value. By asking yourself good
questions, you can discover the most important and meaningful
elements of your life, and stimulate internal growth and positive
changes in life. Barry Pearl, a renowned expert of self-counseling,
claimed that self-questioning allows controlling of subconscious,
repetitive actions in life, while providing time to deeply think
about oneself and one’s system of beliefs.
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Good questions will allow you to realize how happy and fortu-
nate you are. In addition, it allows you to discover meaning and
purpose in life, as well as discover your strengths and capabilities.
Good questions will motivate you to be thankful for your family
and friends, and also help you discover your ideal career.
We will now examine 30 good questions that maximize self-
reflection. These questions will reveal who your identity, hidden
potential, values, purpose, and beliefs. You may tackle all ques-
tions at once, or first select the one that is most relevant to you at
this time. While answering these questions, you may feel emotions
of sadness, regret, and guilt, or conversely experience freedom,
happiness, and surprise. What is most important is that you act
upon the plan designed after the answers you find.
Change starts with your mind and thoughts. However, in order
for change to blossom, you must actually take the initiative and
act. With new actions you may at times feel uncomfortable or fear.
Yet, you must remember that they are extraordinary opportuni-
ties for your personal growth, and so I urge you to proceed with
audacity.
30 Questions that Maximize Self-Discovery

1. Who am I?
Of course, the purpose this question is not to elicit answers like
“I am a policeman” or “I am a student.” Rather, the purpose of the
question is to investigate your values, your source of happiness, and
your motivations. Answers about who you are will flexibly change
depending on your personal circumstances at the time. Therefore,
it is necessary to ask this question on a consistent basis.
2. Who are the three most important people in my life? How do

they think of me?
If you are trapped in the lethargy cycle, then you cannot view
your true self veiled by negative thoughts and emotions. In such a
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situation, you must view yourself through the eyes of people that
you value the most.
3. What is my greatest fear or concern?

Most of our fears and concerns stem from uncertainties of the
future, such as failures, illnesses, death, and rejections. What is the
one thing that constantly bothers you in your life? How much time
do you spend on worrying about the future?
4. Among my fears and concerns, what has actually come true in

reality?
In many cases, we waste much time worrying about nonreal-
istic fears and concerns. Therefore, you must be able to let go of
worries that have no impact on reality.
5. Among my beliefs, what are some that are incompatible with me?
The majority of false beliefs originate not from yourself, but
from your parents, colleagues, organizations, the media, and
other external influences. Examine your beliefs. In order to gain
internal happiness and peace, you must not live a life in which
you accept false beliefs to be true. You must live with ascertained
beliefs.
6. Is there a weakness or guilt that I must overcome?

If shame, embarrassment, and guilt are left unanswered, then
they will have critical impact on you by making you hesitant and
clouding your future. It has been said that in many cases, shame-
fulness and guilt originate from high expectations and actions of
others. What can you do now to overcome such obstacles?
7. What are some life lessons I learned from my hardships?

Since past hardships are accompanied by pain, many people
abstain from talking about or recollecting the experience. In
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many situations, however, life’s most valuable lessons are learned

from painful and difficult experiences. Therefore, lessons from
such hardships are important for personal growth.
8. Am I living a life led by my values, beliefs, and purpose?

If you define your life’s most important values, beliefs, and pur-
pose, then you will manage life with clarity and focus. You only live
once. It will pass by you in a blink of an eye.
9. When do I feel passion?

Passion is an emotion aroused by something that you cannot live
without doing. If you have passion, you will take action without being
forced. You can focus on your work with dedication and inquisitive-
ness when you have passion. When makes you feel passionate?
10. Am I an individual capable of achieving my goals?

Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s investment partner, claimed
that in order to be successful, you must first become an individual
capable of achieving success. Instead of merely dreaming and wait-
ing for success, you must actually progress towards that success in
reality. Are you an individual ready to achieve success?
11. What am I doing specifically in order to make my vision a reality?

No matter how grand or respectable your vision is, this in
itself cannot make the vision come true. Visions are achieved not
by thoughts, but by action. By planning and performing specific
actions daily, you will be able to achieve your vision.
12. Have I ever given up on my dreams or goals? Why?

Have you ever previously given up or discarded an interesting
dream or purpose? If so, what stood in the way of your curiosity,
passion, and motivation? Is this obstacle still impacting you? Are
the dreams and goals still important to you?
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13. What skills and natural tendencies are dormant within myself?
All people have unique skills and natural tendencies. Some of
these are further developed and refined, while some are dormant
and never surface. Until you investigate what these hidden ele-
ments are, you will not know what positive impact they will have
on your life.
14. What part of my life do I want to change?

What part of your life needs most change? Is it human relation-
ships, career, or management of your savings? What is the area
that you can reform to bring positive impact on your life?
15. What is my plan to realize this change in life?

Charles Duhigg, the author of “Power of Habits” claimed that
a new change in life requires at least 67 days before it becomes a
habit. What can you do now for this change to occur? What can
you do this week? How about this month, or even two months?
16. What is the culprit behind diverting my focus from prioritized

responsibilities?
Benjamin Franklin once said that because life is comprised
of time, one must not waste time if one loves life. However, our
lives are surrounded by trivial tasks that sap this previous time.
You must shift your focus from unnecessary tasks to responsibili-
ties that actually entail personal values, meaning, and satisfaction.
Remember that trivial tasks only increase your stress, while depre-
ciating your life’s satisfaction and happiness.
17. What is life’s important opportunity that I am currently failing

to seize?
Life’s opportunities are fleeting if you do not seize them now.
If you miss the opportunity, how will you feel in the future? Will
you feel regret?
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18. Do my prioritized tasks reflect my core values?

Simon Sinek, the author of “Start with Why,” stated that your pri-
orities must reflect your core values in order for a passionate, moti-
vated life. What are your core values? If your priorities and core values
are inconsistent with one another, what can you do to align them?
19. While working, when do you feel most satisfaction? When do

you feel the least satisfaction?
Take some time to think about what you truly enjoy in your
work. What makes you feel the most satisfaction while working?
When do you feel the least satisfaction and happiness? This ques-
tion will be immensely helpful when you switch jobs.
20. Do I work with enjoyable people?

Jim Collins, the author of “Good to Great,” said that life with the
least regrets is one in which it is surrounded with good people who
share your values. Do you feel motivated, challenged, and enlight-
ened by those around you? Are they helpful in defining your values?
21. What do you feel most confident about? When do you feel least
confident?
Confidence is closely related to past success and failures, others’
evaluations of you, and your environment. In your case, when do you
feel most and least confident, and what are the reasons? If you do
not feel confident, what is the basis of this weakness? What can you
do to overcome it? Remember that confidence is not innate or fixed,
but rather can be improved with training. The best way to increase
confidence is to start with small acts that you can accomplish.
22. When faced with a difficult problem or a crisis, do I try to

resolve it solely on my own?
When faced with a difficult problem or a crisis, how do you
control your emotions and attitude? Many people refuse to show
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their personal emotions, such as anxiety, sadness, and anger, and

instead try to overcome them on their own. However, there is no
one who has not faced a difficult situation in their lives. Henri
Nouwen, the author of “The Wounded Healer,” claimed that peo-
ple who experienced difficulties and crises possess the ability to
heal and understand those who encountered similar problems.
When you show your problems without shame, you will gain the
courage and strength to heal yourself in the process of mutual
understanding and sharing, while easily resolving the difficulties
by learning from others’ wisdom.
23. How quickly do I recover from failures and disappointments?

The majority of successful people quickly recovers from past
failures and disappointments, and do not let their morale to fall.
An easy way to recover from failures and disappointments of the
past is not to forcefully forget about them, but to gain lessons from
the failures. Within these painful experiences resides life’s valu-
able lessons, and the lessons allow you to emphatically move for-
ward with your plans.
24. What is my role in any uncomfortable or unfortunate human

relationships?
We have a tendency to blame others when faced with unfor-
tunate human relationships. We point our fingers to others when
looking for reasons, saying “he is at fault,” “he does not help,” and
“he always bring misfortunes to my life.” However, do look within
yourself first before blaming others. Think about whether you
contributed to the unfortunate relationship or the habits of your
actions and words were possible causes.
25. What is my responsibility in creating happy human relationships?

The only person who can bring positive change to human rela-
tionships is you. You can request others to change, but you cannot
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force them. However, you can change your approach and attitude
towards the problem to be more positive. It all depends on your
determination.
26. Do I express self-esteem in human relationships? Or do I try to

hide myself?
A healthy human relationship is one in which each individual
expresses self-esteem. From a long term perspective, lowering one-
self to elevate others, and conversely elevating oneself and lower-
ing others are both unbalanced relationships.
27. How much time do I spend on doing things that I truly enjoy?
Elon Musk said that when he finds truly important values and
purpose, he dedicates 100 hours a week, and 14 hours a day to
accomplish them. With such effort, he claimed that the goals nor-
mally achieved in a year can be accomplished in mere two months.
Are you spending your valuable time on things that are personally
motivating and truly important to you?
28. How much time do I spend on speculating, meditating, and

reflecting?
During the graduation of speech of Duke University, Conan
O’Brien, the host of TBS’s “The Conan Show,” said that:
“Nietzsche famously said ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you
stronger.’ But what he failed to stress is that it almost kills you..”
In order to reduce their mistakes, great leaders will go for a
walk, read a book, or meditate for thirty minutes to an hour every
day. Through this routine, they will reflect upon truly important
values and purpose to decide on the right direction.
29. Am I living my own life? Am I living another person’s life?

Is the life that you are living a true reflection of who you are?
Or is it reflecting others’ expectations of who you need to be?
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What do you think is the first step to living a genuine, honest life
for yourself?
30. Do I love myself?

If you do not love yourself, who else will love you? Only when
you love, forgive, and tolerate yourself will you love a life filled with
self-esteem and confidence, while being able to love others like
you love yourself.
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PART TWO
Successful Organizations and Question Intelligence
C HAP T E R 8
TO ADAPT, OR TO PERISH? QUESTIONS FOR

SURVIVAL OF ORGANIZATIONS
L eon Maggins, professor of Louisiana State University’s Busi-

ness Department, talked an innovative concept about success-
ful organization in his presentation ‘Lessons from Europe for
American Businesses’. According to Maggins:
“Change is nature’s basic law. However, the impact of change
can differ based on individuals and organizations. According to
Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest, it is not those who are
the smartest that survive. It is also not the strongest who survive.
Survivors are those who change and adapt to the changes of their
environment. Civilizations that have survived also followed this
concept. They survived because they were able to adapt to physical,
social, political, ethical, and spiritual changes of the environment.”
Think about your friends from high school or middle school.
Who, among them, is the most successful? Is it the friend who was
the smartest? Or is it the friend who was the strongest? Through
this question, you will realize that academic grades and physical
strength do not bring you success of the present. Success is not
dictated by mere grades or strength. Our society is comprised of
countless changes and opportunities. Successful people are those
who adapted to these changes and created new opportunities.
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The same pattern applies to organizations comprised of indi-

viduals. Corporations and non-government organizations are
those that did not become complacent with their current situa-
tions and constantly evolved in the face of upcoming changes and
challenges. There is no world without change. Organizations are
constantly faced with new changes and challenges.
The Fall of Kodak

If there are three inventions that had monumental impact on the
daily lives of people at the end of the 19th century, they are Thomas
Edison’s light bulb in 1879, Alexander Graham’s telephone in 1876,
and George Eastman’s roll film camera in 1988.
Among these inventions, the roll film camera completely revo-
lutionized the concept of photography. At the time, people had
to carry cameras the size of a car wheel, a heavy tripod, and a
dark room tent for processing. Therefore, it was impossible for
people to carry these equipments and take photos while traveling
or in their daily lives. The realm of photography only belonged
to professional photographers and journalists from newspaper
companies. However, the young Eastman pondered how to make
a portable camera, and tirelessly worked every night in his moth-
er’s kitchen. As a result, he succeeded in inventing the roll film
in 1884.
Afterwards, in 1888, Eastman revealed ‘Kodak’ to the world, the
first portable roll film camera with a shutter speed and a focus lens.
With a slogan, ‘Just press one button. We’ll do the rest,’ Eastman
launched his marketing campaign and reaped huge success. The
success marked the birth of the Eastman Kodak Company, and his
company monopolized the world’s photography and camera indus-
tries. According to a case study conducted by Harvard Business
School, Kodak became a multinational corporation that captured
90% of the world’s photography films and cameras by 1976. At the
time, no one could have predicted Kodak’s fall. Ironically, it was
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an error in decision by Kodak’s management in 1976 that proved

critical in Kodak’s decline.
After Willard Boyle and George Smith of Bell Research
Center invented the charge-coupled device (CCD) that created
images by converting light into electric charges in 1969, the early
1970s witnessed prominent companies, including RCA, Fairchild
Semiconductor, and Texas Instrument, strove to improve the
capabilities of the charge-coupled device. In 1973, Kodak’s Steven
Sasson began his research with a new idea of developing a digital
imaging technology with the use of the CCD. Two years later in
1975, he invented the first digital camera. This camera weighed
four kilograms, with the size of a toaster machine, and its qual-
ity equaled about 0.01 megapixels. Priding himself on creating a
method to photography without the need for films, Sasson demon-
strated his digital camera in front of the Kodak executives. However,
the executives held different opinions to those of Sasson’s. With
Kodak boasting dominant market share in the camera industry,
the executives showed indifference to focusing on new technol-
ogy that may threaten the film technology, and determined that
the digital camera, with its 0.01 megapixels, could not outpace the
analog film camera even with further development. In the end,
the world’s first digital camera was tragically buried by the very
company that invented it.
Moore’s Law
While Kodak continued to neglect the digital camera, the world’s
semiconductor technology miraculously reached great heights
as if following a supernatural law. In 1965, Gordon Moore, the
founder of Intel, asserted that by ‘Moore’s Law’, a self-coined term,
the number of transistors directly inserted in semiconductor chips
increased approximately twofold every two years. This meant
that the semiconductor’s product capabilities doubled every two
years, while product price decreased exponentially. Even amongst
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continued skepticism and difficulties, Moore’s Law proved true

for the last fifty years and guided development of the world’s IT
industry.
Transistor count and Moore’s law over time
As predicted by Moore’s Law, through the efforts of Japanese com-

panies like Sony, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, and Casio, the capa-
bilities of the digital improved exponentially each year, and with
prices also exponentially falling, the camera was accessible to
professional photographers by 1980s and 1990s, and soon to all
consumers by the 2000s. Today, thanks to the smartphone and
popularized use of social networks and blogging, the usage of digi-
tal cameras has reached a ratio of almost one camera per person.
At the end of the 1990s, Kodak, feeling threatened by this new
rise, began diving into the digital camera market, but could not
compete with the technology and marketing of Japanese companies
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that already possessed over 90% of the market share. Unable to

ride the digital camera’s wave of popularization since the 2000s,
Kodak and its film camera business experienced a precipitous fall,
and ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 2012.
George Eastman’s dream was for all people to easily store their
precious memories in their daily lives by means of a photograph.
In actuality, there is nothing easier to realize this dream than to
use a digital camera. However, Kodak became complacent in its
original success with the film camera, and could not adapt to the
transformative wave of the digital camera. As such, Kodak’s glori-
ous past and effort over the hundred years toppled in failure. The
case of Kodak shows that corporations, regardless of its size, can
suffer a tragic end if it does not adapt to new changes.
Rapidly Changing Market Through Innovative Technology

In June 29, 2007, since Steve Jobs jumpstarted the smartphone
revolution by launching the iPhone, a vast number of applica-
tions in all fields, including books, magazines, science, politics,
education, society, business, management, marketing, shopping,
entertainment, games, sports, music, food, health, transportation,
weather, travel, and social networking, exploded onto the scene.
According to Statista, a professional statistics organization in the
U.S., the number of registered applications on iTunes reached
23,040 by July 2008, while this number of doubled every year. In
July 2012, the number rose to 698,170 and by July 2015, it increased
to 1,800,670. When combining this number with the applications
registered on Google Play Store, the total number becomes immea-
surable. Considering the fact that the modern citizen each owns
one smartphone, the impact of mobile applications on the lives of
people is spectacular. Mobile applications created a more conve-
nient lifestyle by redefining the way people think, act, and speak.
Furthermore, mobile applications brought incredible change and
revolutionized the world of business.
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In 2008, while having difficulty hailing a taxi, Travis Kalanick

and Garrett Camp began to create an application that called the
nearest car to their location with a push of a button. In 2009, they
revealed an application called Uber to the world. By using Uber,
people could register as drivers without expensive costs of a taxi
license or insurance if they did not have a criminal record, while
flexibly earning money at their convenient times. In addition,
users of Uber were now able to receive service that was faster and
cheaper than a standard taxi, and the application’s GPS function
to track their Uber drivers maximized their convenience. Most
importantly, users were traveling happier than ever by meeting
various Uber drivers and conversing about interesting life experi-
ences during their rides.
Launching its service in San Francisco, Uber instantly expanded
to other major cities, including New York, Chicago, and Washington,
and its service became available in 58 major countries and over 300
cities by 2015. According to Uber’s official report released in 2015,
Uber raised $500 million in revenues in the San Francisco region.
Most of the local taxi drivers have shifted their service to Uber by
which they can flexibly operate their business and attract more
customers and revenue. Meanwhile, the medallion of local taxis,
which was $106,000 in 2013, steeply fell to $10,600 by 2015. On
January 26 2016, Yellowcab, the biggest local taxi service in San
Francisco, suffered a serious financial deficit and finally filed for
bankruptcy. According to CNBC’s future report, when consider-
ing the development trends of Uber’s competing services like Lyft
and Sidecar, local taxi companies face possibility of total collapse
by 2018 if they do not use smart applications and cannot adapt to
this new shift.
In addition to the taxi service business, the rapid change in
market due to revolutionary technology based on sharing economy
can also be observed in the field of hotel business. In 2007, Airbnb
launched a website through which people can rent out their homes
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to travelers without a professional hotel license. Airbnb allowed

travelers to experience the locals’ lifestyle and culture with com-
paratively cheap prices. Specifically, Airbnb’s use of the Internet
and smartphone application allowed convenient reservation and
payment, and news of Airbnb’s convenience spread like wildfire
among travelers. By 2016, Airbnb now manages over 1.5 million
hosts across 190 countries 34,000 cities, and The Wall Street
Journal reported that almost 100 million people have used Airbnb
to find rooms during their travels. To this day, Airbnb raised over
$4.6 trillion in profits and its value exceeds $93 trillion.
Without owning a single hotel, Airbnb surpassed services of world-
wide hotels like the Intercontinental, Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott,
with the use of revolutionary IT technology. The tremendous suc-
cess of Airbnb brought tremendous shifts within the conventional
hotel market. Previously existing hotels now must rely on online
reservation sites and applications, such as Airbnb, Expedia, Hotels.
com, and Trivago, for their survival. According to Phocuswrite, a
U.S. market investment research company, 50 percent of all U.S.
reservations in 2015 were made through online reservation web-
sites and applications. Observing this trend, CNN Money predicted
that tour guides would become obsolete by 2020, and reported that
travel agencies will not survive if they do not face the technological
revolution of the IT Internet and smartphones.
The Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The topic of the Davos Forum of the World Economic Forum in
2016 was “The Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Coined by Klaus
Schwab, the Chairman of the Davos Forum, the Fourth Industrial
Revolution refers to a new wave of industry created through the
integration of innovative technology the digital IT technology in
fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, lab-on-a-
chip, sensor technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology, Internet
of things, and big data analytics. As revolutionary technology
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evolves exponentially and drives the Fourth Industrial Revolution,

the revolution expands at blistering speeds, while leading tremen-
dous shifts in production, manufacturing, marketing, and man-
agement systems of all industries internationally.
Artificial intelligence exists in all fields, starting with driver-less

cars, auto-navigation equipment in planes, drones, translation
and investment software, and Google’s Alphago. Through expan-
sive amount of information available with incredible develop-
ments in computer engineering and digital revolution, artificial
intelligence continues to evolve with precision and is predicted to
replace numerous jobs and tasks when combined with the robot-
ics. According to the Davos Forum report, artificial intelligence
will take over many jobs and tasks, including telemarketing,
accounting, retail, real estate, economic and investment analysis,
manufacturing, management, education, firefighting, policing,
pharmaceuticals, training, surgery, and chemical and mechanical
engineering by 2030.
3-D printing will allow creation of almost all objects, including
automobiles, furniture, houses, and even biotissues, bones, and
organs. According to the Davos Forum report, automobile produc-
tion will begin with the first 3-D printer by 2022, and liver transplant
through 3-D printing will be conducted by 2025. Karl Bass, the CEO
of Autodesk, predicts that all households will have a 3-D printer at
home just as they all now have inkjet printers. This signifies that the
center of manufacturing will shift from corporations to the public,
triggering a democratization of manufacturing in the future.
Lab-on-a-chip technology is a technology combining inexpen-
sive material like paper or glass with micro/nano, bio, and IT tech-
nology, and it allows diagnosis and treatment of patients with a
single sample of their saliva, blood, and urine. The production
cost of this lab-on-a-chip technology is continuously declining due
to evolution of technology, and in tandem with remote diagnosis
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possible with the smartphone, it is being discussed as a medical

substitute for doctors in third world countries in which the number
of patients far outnumber the number of doctors. Furthermore, it
is predicted that this technology will decrease medical costs by
allowing patients to self-diagnosis and treat most illnesses.
Internet of things technology is a concept referring to connect-
ing all objects with the Internet, and will lead monumental changes
by allowing effective and consistent management of businesses
and resources in the future. The sensor technology attached to
individual objects will share information acquired within respec-
tive environments and will facilitate a more convenient, secure life-
style. For example, 22 percent of all cars in the world (290 billion)
will be connected through the Internet by 2020, and such connec-
tion will lead to safer driving due to exchange of road information
conducted among these automobiles.
Speaking about the future that the Fourth Industrial Revolution
will bring, Klaus Schwab claimed that there exist possibilities for
history’s greatest success and peril.
“The possibility of a downfall is great if companies cannot
newly adapt and revolutionize itself in the face of such colossal
changes. However, companies will open an unimaginable era of
prosperity if they face reality and proceed to self-revolutionize and
adapt to this new transformation.
Let us now examine the questions that maximize adaptability
of organizations.
What is the Reality that We Must Face?

How to face the changing reality greatly impacts the future of orga-
nizations. The secret to successful organizations is their ability to
face these changes. Numerous companies exist in the world today,
but those that have lasted over 100 years are rare. Classic examples
of such companies are ‘A&P’ and ‘Kroger,’ two American grocery
chains.
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In 1950, after the Second World War, the two companies had to
face a monumental change. The American economy quickly recov-
ered after the war and the influx of labor also increased dramati-
cally. As a result, the consumers’ demand for diverse merchandise
also increased. At the time, A&P, with over 15,000 stores nation-
wide, was considered a top grocery chain. However, refusing to
accept the fact that consumer necessities also change with shifts
within the era, A&P resorted to its original system of maintaining
small-scale grocery stores over switching to large superstores.
However, Kroger was different. Kroger carefully surveyed the
needs of its customers and focused its research on how Kroger must
change according to the survey results. The surveys reaffirmed
that customer needs indeed became diverse and their consumer
desires even greater. Therefore, Kroger decided to overhaul its
original, small-scale system and chose a strategy that gave custom-
ers more choices. Fifty years after its decisions, Kroger stood firm
as one of America’s most prominent grocery superstores. However,
A&P continued to stress its model from the 1950s and ultimately
filed for bankruptcy.
Great organizations face changing reality as is and have the
courage to newly adapt to these changes. They are aware that
their survival, as well as prosperity, depends on their adaptability
to change. Great organizations conduct research and amass data
about the reality, while diligently studying the new changes. With
these resources, they seek effective and realistic strategies that
mend gaps between the past and the present. They have hope and
faith in the new change, while waiting for people’s responses to
their adaptations. Dreams and visions provide inspiration for the
beginnings of great companies. However, they must face shifts in
reality in order to realize their dreams. Reality can often be cruel
and depressing. Yet, great corporations see possibility among hard-
ships. They proceed to create a new world.
“Are you avoiding reality due to fear?”
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“Do you know what customers want most? Is it identical to those

of the past? Has it changed?”
“In five years, how must the organization change in order for
greater success and prosperity?”
Do We Possess a Growth Mindset?

Carol Dweck, professor at Stanford University, discovered through
her research that people largely have two types of mindsets: fixed
mindset and growth mindset. She claimed that what is important
for our success and goals is not simply dependent on our capa-
bilities or intelligence, but whether we live with a fixed or growth
mindset.1
A fixed mindset refers to abilities that are fixed and unchang-
ing, such as personalities, intelligence, and creativity. Those with a
fixed mindset consider success and accomplishments to be recog-
nition of their fixed abilities. When not satisfied with the results
of assessments or tests, these people easily become discouraged
and negatively believe that they possess no abilities. Furthermore,
because they are embarrassed by the reality that reveals dangers
or weaknesses, they do not attempt to grow and develop through
these experiences. Therefore, they become complacent with tasks
that only exemplify their limited abilities, and lack the mindset for
challenges and exploration.
In contrast, people with a growth mindset believe that their abil-
ities are not fixed and that they can develop at any time. Therefore,
assessments and test results are not indicative of their abilities, and
they thus do not despair easily. In fact, they believe these tests to
be opportunities for their abilities to further develop and expand.
A critical advantage of a growth mindset is that it propels people
to strive towards new changes and growth as their goals. In addi-
tion, growth mindset provides faith that human capabilities, such
as intelligence and creativity, as well as social abilities like human
relationships, can be improved with effort and practice. Therefore,
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people with growth mindsets continuously challenge themselves

and constantly learn through these endeavors.
Simply put, a fixed mindset focuses on current capabilities,
while a growth mindset focuses on how to become more capable.
Today’s organizations face dangers of ever-shifting changes
and challenges unseen in the past. It is today’s reality that even
the greatest companies will face downfall and obsolescence if
they cannot adjust to their changing environment. Such a reality
requires organizations to strive for ceaseless learning, innovation,
revolution, challenges, and discovery. Therefore, organizations
must break free from a fixed mindset that induces complacency in
the present, and instead adopt a growth mindset which promotes
constant learning and challenges for development. If so, how can
we implement a growth mindset within organizations?
First, we must laud effort and process.
In one experiment, the research team of Carol Dweck posed
ten difficult questions to each student and applauded those that
answered the questions. However, the team lauded half of the stu-
dents by saying “great job. It is a good score. You have a natural tal-
ent,’ while lauding the other half by saying “great job. It is an above
average score. You truly gave your best effort.” In other words, the
team lauded one group of students for their ability, while lauding
the other for their effort. The surprising result followed soon after.
The team proceeded to ask even harder questions to the students.
Afterwards, a common response of those lauded for their ability was
that they believed themselves to be not actually smart or capable. In
contrast, those lauded for their effort expressed disappointment in
the elevated difficulty, but interpreted the results as indication for
needing further effort and not greater intelligence. As a result, the
students who were applauded for their effort were constantly moti-
vated to enjoy the process and ultimately achieved better results.
Second, we must abandon the binary assessment and evalua-
tion as success or failure.
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A characteristic of organizations with a fixed mindset is that

they view the world with a binary assessment between success and
failure. Due to their fear of being labeled a failure, they fear being
evaluated. In addition, they avoid difficult, challenging problems
and resort to easier ones because they dislike being labeled a “fail-
ure.” Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb, said that:
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Edison did not view the world with a binary focus of success
and failure. To Edison, failure was not failure, but an experiment
needed for success.
In order to strengthen a growth mindset, organizations must
not accept failure as a reason for negativity and despair, but must
view it as an experiment and a challenge. Through this effort,
organizations can consistently learn, create, and grow.
“Does your organization assess with a binary view of success or
failure?”
“Does your organization foster a culture in which creative
attempts are shunned due to potentially negative feedback?”
“How can I promote people to overcome pressures of failure,
and instead encourage challenges, experiments, and passionate
effort?
Do We Understand the Future Trend of Revolutionary

Technology?
Interested by the fact that today’s revolutionary technology stim-
ulates exponential growth of organizations in particular, Peter
Diamandis, the President of Singularity University and X Prize
Foundation, analyzed several revolutionary technology called
‘exponential technology.’ After analyzing the radical, revolution-
ary impact of exponential technology on today’s organizations and
societies, he reported the trends as sequential “6 Ds.”2 To organiza-
tions that reject change and are complacent in their current suc-
cesses, such trends of revolutionary technology will be considered
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threatening and dangerous. Simultaneously, to organizations that

consistently understand the flow of change and quickly transform
themselves, this trend will be a valuable opportunity for exponen-
tial growth. Therefore, organizations must be aware of these six
future trends of revolutionary technology.
First, it begins with digitalization.
Innovation starts with sharing and exchange of ideas. Today,
we live in an era in which reproduction and sharing of informa-
tion occurs for free. Thanks to the development of digital com-
puter technology, the speed of idea exchange is increasing with an
exponential trajectory. As seen from the aforementioned case of
Kodak, all digitalized, revolutionary technology, including digital
photography, biology, pharmaceuticals, production, and printing,
follows Moore’s Law and can develop exponentially. If organiza-
tions achieve the transfer from analog technology to one that is
digital, they will experience exponential growth.
Second, it is deception.
The step that follows digitalization is deception, or a period
during which exponential growth is visually hidden. As seen from
Kodak’s first digital camera, its initial capability developed from
0.01 megapixels to 0.02, then from 0.02 to 0.04, and from 0.04
to 0.08, but such incremental improvement was barely visible and
Kodak considered it to be insignificant progress. However, when
exponential growth with a doubling rate occurs twenty times, it
equals growth of 1 million, while thirty times will yield growth
of 1 billion. During the process of deception for its innovative
technology, Kodak incorrectly judged its potential and this mis-
take became the core reason for its downfall. In contrast, Japanese
digital camera companies, such as Sony, Nikon, Canon, Olympus
and Casio, relied on the growth potential of digital cameras and
focused on the growth power of the digital camera business. As a
result, they experienced exponential growth and reaped prosper-
ity. The great Albert Einstein claimed that the eighth wonder of
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the world was welfare, or exponential growth. While it may begin

small, exponential growth will not dwell at its miniscule size for
too long.
Third, it is disruption.
Disruptive technology refers to revolutionary technology that
creates new markets and even destroys and disrupts existing mar-
kets. Disruption always occurs after deception. Kodak’s first digital
camera required 23 seconds to save a black-and-white image of
0.01 megapixels. Kodak’s executives believed that this digital cam-
era technology would never threaten their original film camera
market. As a result, the company lagged in the digital camera mar-
ket and began to gradually suffer by the 1990s. By 2007, they could
not make any profits and filed for bankruptcy in 2012.
Today, we live in a world of exponential revolutionary technol-
ogy. Disruption caused by revolutionary technology can occur at
any time. We are left with few choices. Will we disrupt, or be dis-
rupted? These are our only options.
Fourth, it is demonetization.
Chris Anderson, the former editor-in-chief of the science mag-
azine ‘Wired’, claimed that the easiest way to make money is to
give the products without charge. Linux, a computer operating
system, is free for anyone to install and use. Web browsers, such
as Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, are also free. Even without paying
for Microsoft Word, people can use word processors for free with
the use of Googledocs. With Googledocs, because it automatically
saves content, there is no need to back up data. Numerous social
network services, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, are
also free. By providing their services for free, these companies
attracted countless customers and the subsequent information
they acquired brought them incredible wealth.
Fifth, it is dematerialization.
Just as the film camera industry faded with the advent of the
digital camera, the digital camera and its influence is also rapidly
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shrinking due to the invention and spread of the smartphone. The

reason is because the digital camera’s ever-improving capabilities
became dematerialized and began to exist as applications within
portable smartphones. Many technologies that once existed as
separate machines, such as video chatting, GPS, voice recorders,
digital watches, digital cameras, video players, video cameras,
music players, dictionaries, video game consoles, now exist as
applications in your smartphone. Technologies that once cost hun-
dreds and thousands of dollars thirty years ago are now supplied
through your smartphone for free. At the same time, the speed of
dematerialization led by smartphone technology is increasing at
an incredible rate.
Sixth, it is democratization.
While revolutionary technology has become both demonetized
and dematerialized, not all people of the world have access because
the price of the smartphone is still expensive. Democratization
refers to the process in which prices of devices like the smartphone
and laptops are decreased to the point where all people can reap
the benefits of revolutionary technology.
People often urge to look not at one tree, but the entire forest.
Only when organizations do not limit themselves locally but view
the overall trends and patterns can they predict the ever-changing
future and establish long-term plans. Through this effort, orga-
nizations can become great, enjoying long-lasting survival and
prosperity.
Let us now question ourselves:
• When applying the six future trends of revolutionary tech-

nology, is there a step that your organization has overlooked?
• What is the future trend that your organization must adhere
to for prosperity?
• When following the six future trends, how can your organi-
zation establish realistic, detailed goals?
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C HAP T E R 9
WHAT IS OUR IDENTITY? THE QUESTION

FOR SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS
WITH A DEFINED BRAND
J im Collins, an expert in the field of leadership, introduced a

story from Aesop’s Fables called “The Fox and the Hedgehog”
in his own book “Good to Great.”
A fox is a cunning and beautiful creature. It is also fast, lean,
and a proficient hunter. In contrast, a hedgehog is small, slow, and
plump. Therefore, a hedgehog only concerns itself with finding
food and caretaking its home. Every day, a fox thinks of strate-
gies to hunt the hedgehog and bides its most opportune chance.
However, when the fox attacks the hedgehog, the hedgehog will
curl itself into a ball to protect itself. The fox ultimately fails and
returns home to think of a new plan. Yet, the same result repeats
itself every time. The fox ends up with nothing, and the hedgehog
stands victorious.
The fox has much knowledge, but the hedgehog knows one
critical piece of information. Great organizations are like the hedge-
hog. Like the hedgehog, great organizations think of easy, effective,
impactful action plans in the simplest methods. According to Collins,
the hedgehog’s strategy concept of focusing on a single plan is born
from understanding one’s own identity with accuracy and depth.
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Walgreen’s and its consistent growth from 1975 to the 2000s

allowed its stock prices to surpass those of Coca Cola and General
Electric. The success of Walgreen’s stems from the company’s
focus on its identity as a convenience store. As a convenience store,
Walgreen’s strove to realize its vision as a store that provides utmost
convenience to its customers, and discovered that the critical com-
ponent to success is its location. Walgreen’s proceeded to close
stores located at inaccessible areas, and instead opened stores in
easily accessible areas (street corners, transportation hubs, etc).
With the strategy, Walgreen’s was able to open about nine stores
per one mile radius. Walgreen’s idea was simple. It was that peo-
ple will visit stores that are located most conveniently for them. As
such, Walgreen’s enjoyed great success.
The success story of Walgreen’s surpasses strategies of creativity
and complexity. Their accomplishments did not stem from compli-
cated ideas, but were driven by a simple idea and a clear acknowl-
edgement of its identity. Once people recognize their identity, or
who they really are, they will discover their purpose and not waver.
Likewise, when organizations clearly define their identity, they can
focus their energy on most critical tasks and succeed in branding.
If so, how can organizations discover their identity? Let us examine
the core questions for discovering the identity of organizations.
For What Do We Exist? What Needs Do We Fulfill?

What is the role of businesses? Businesses exist to transform the
values of products and services among parties involved. Therefore,
organizations must be able to clearly understand the underlying
values within products and services provided, and simultaneously
understand who they share these values with. In addition, organiza-
tions must effectively convey how the generated values will improve
people’s happiness. In this light, what is most important for busi-
nesses is what needs their values will actually fulfill. Products and
services, regardless of their superiority, will experience failure if
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they do not fulfill people’s needs. The reason is no one will rec-
ognize their values. When they solve people’s problems, fulfill
their needs, and elevate the level of their quality of life, people will
acknowledge the value of your organization and gladly open their
wallets to express their appreciation.
Countless entrepreneurs still operate under the mindset
focused on greed. These entrepreneurs focus on how to trick peo-
ple to open their purses and falsely lead them to desire unneces-
sary products or services. As long as they become richer, they have
little regard for others who become poorer and more unfortunate.
However, such greedy mindset in business will not succeed in
a world where a population of 7 billion will soon be connected as
one through revolutionary technology. Peter Diamandis often said:
“Do you really want to be rich? The best way to become rich is
to solve the population problem of a billion.”
He asserts that the world’s trickiest problem can be the great
opportunity in business. A thousand years ago, the one person
who could solve national and regional problems was the king. A
hundred years ago, it was entrepreneurs who transformed regional
economies and solved nations’ problems. Today, anyone can tackle
the world’s problems and have global impact if they dream and
challenge themselves with passion. Today’s rapidly developing
exponential technology, such as computers, networks, sensors,
artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, lab-on-a-chip, nano-
technology, biotechnology, Internet of things, will create a more
prosperous, happier world in which anyone can satisfy world needs
of water, food, energy, education, health and treatment, freedom
and protection of human rights.
Peter Diamandis actively encourages all students of Singularity
University to start businesses that will have positive impact on the
problem of overpopulation within the next decade. As a result,
many companies, led by the students themselves, with worldly
impact were founded. In the case of MatterNet, the company
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provides services to safely deliver packages in cities with defi-

cient infrastructure by using automated drones. In developing
countries, MatterNet’s drones can deliver packages up to two
kilograms and revolutionized the standard delivery system. Blue
Oak Resources developed the technology to extract expensive
metals, such as copper, silver, and white gold, from disposed
electronic equipment. The company collected 40 million tons of
soon-to-be-disposed electronic equipment and aims to extract
metals worth $65 billion. Organ Preservation Alliance developed
cryogenic technology to preserve organs for a markedly longer
period of time. With longer preservation of organs now possible
with the technology, it continues to greatly impact the world of
medicine.
Transcending goals for profit, the advent of companies that
strive to “serve” the world can be interpreted as realization of a
long-held teaching passed down for thousands of years through-
out the history of mankind. Jesus once said that “whoever wants to
become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants
to be first must be your slave.” Lao Tzu also said “saints who want
to be higher than the people must be lower than them, and must
stand behind the people if they wish to lead them.” Corporations
solely concerned with profits strive to reach the top of the pyra-
mid. In other words, these companies exist to reign over other
people. However, corporations that serve exist at the bottom of
the upside-down pyramid. It means that they exist to fulfill the
needs of most people by humbly being at the bottom. They take
action to help, revive, serve, lead, and teach many people all over
the world.
On December 1 2015, the world’s numerous newspapers and
media outlets shone their spotlight on Facebook’s founder, Mark
Zuckerberg. On that day, Zuckerberg posted a picture of himself
with his wife and newly born daughter, and made a confession to
his daughter.
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“I feel immense responsibility to leave to you and other chil-

dren a better world. I hope that you will live a life full of love, hope,
and happiness just as you have provided these things for us. Like
other parents of the world, your mother and I hope for you to live
in a world better than today.”
He continued and said, “Our society has a responsibility to
invest in a world in which the lives of soon-to-be-born children will
be better, and in order to do so, we need long-term investments
stretching 25, 50, and 100 years. Furthermore, we need active com-
munication among people and organizations.”
To fill this need, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla revealed that
they plan to donate 99 percent of his Facebook stocks, equaling
roughly $55 billion.
In the last twenty years, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and
the president of Bill & Melinda Gates Foudnation, was reported as
the world’s wealthiest man. His wealth is currently estimated to be
$74 billion, still considered the world’s top. By founding the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates has consistently donated his
wealth, the amount totaling approximately $37 billion. The Gates
couple used their tremendous donations to solve the world’s most
dire problems, including poverty, education, and diseases among
the poor in developing nations.
Jim Walton, the son of Sam Walton who founded Walmart,
continues to practice his father’s philanthropic principles and
attitudes of his father. According to Forbes in 2016, Jim Walton’s
wealth is estimated to be around $31 billion. He has consistently
donated 4 percent of his company’s net assets to contribute to cre-
ating a better society.1
Zuckerberg, Gates, Walton, and many other wealthy individu-
als and organizations do not focus on amassing their wealth, but
have reflected greater passion for sharing their wealth to fulfill
society’s biggest needs. These organizations have shown keen
interest in understanding the needs and their solutions for the 7
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billion people of the world. By solving these global problems, these

corporations continue to exist as world’s great organizations that
wield tremendous influence on the world.
What is the Core Value that Money Cannot Buy?

Today, in a world that has become mechanical and commercialized,
it is easy to assume that money can buy all happiness. Creating end-
less products and services, today’s corporations seduce consumers
with effective advertising strategies. Believing that these products
and services will provide them with the promised happiness and
values, these consumers open their wallets without much hesita-
tion. However, whatever that money can buy will not bring you
true happiness and values (love, peace, happiness, philanthropy,
mercy, justice, beauty, etc.). The reason is that these values simply
cannot be bought.
Throughout time, philosophers have preached a truth that
consistently brought enlightenment to our lives. It is that if you
lose things that money cannot buy, then you will never be able
to enjoy the things that money can buy. This quintessential truth
applies identically to companies that desire a unique identity, or a
clearly defined brand of their own.
A company’s core value becomes the driving force of the com-
pany’s growth. This is similar to how mankind has evolved with
the discovery of natural forces. Newton’s discovery of gravity dur-
ing the Renaissance expanded the limits of human travel to the
skies, while the discovery of electromagnetic forces during the
19th-20th centuries led to electronic devices that brought prosper-
ity and convenience to humanity. In addition, the discovery of
nuclear forces in the 20th century gifted mankind with unimagi-
nable amount of energy. Similarly, the core value of a company
allows the organization to channel its energy, time, effort, and
drive amidst a constantly changing environment, while helping
to overcome difficulties and challenges with passion. Therefore,
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a company’s priceless, core value becomes its very reason for exis-
tence and its identity.
A company founded upon unwavering core value is not one
that simply reveres materialistic, proprietary values. Rather, it is
company that embodies sublime, existential values and thrives in
them. In Erich Fromm’s book “Escape From Freedom,” Fromm
struggles to overcome the dichotomy that exists between mate-
rial affluence brought upon by technological, scientific progress
and simultaneous erosion of people’s identity and alienation. As a
solution, he asserts that people must actively live with existential
values. People with proprietary values have an attitude in which
they determine their value by the things they possess. In contrast,
people with existential values embody an attitude in which they
place utmost value on their own existence and actively transform,
grow, and serve others. According to Fromm, in a society where
propriety values are widespread, all entities become objectified,
the sanctity of human existence becomes tarnished, and the soci-
ety collapses.
Conversely, a society in which existential values become core
values becomes more prosperous with astonishing faith and moti-
vation, with a clearly defined, unwavering identity as its foundation.
As an example, Jewish societies introduced in the Old Testament
show stark contrast between pre- and post-Exodus of 15 B.C. The
Jews lived in Egypt for approximately 430 years, before Exodus. At
the time, Egypt was at the height of its powers and the Jews lived a
complacent lifestyle by enjoying an abundance of grains and meat
harvested from a developed agricultural system and rich lands.
They desired to live in a secure society that was Egypt. They lived
by embodying proprietary values.
However, after Exodus and living nomadic lives, the Jews and
their society began to understand their existential meaning and
values through their leader, Moses. Through the words of his God,
Jehovah, Moses enlightened his people that they were the chosen
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by God to restore the world and were the source of worldly blessing.
In other words, the Jews of post-Exodus were able to lead new lives
with existential values which were once forgotten during their days
of enslavement in Egypt. After Exodus, having found new faith and
belief about their own identities, the Jews were granted their prom-
ised land of Canaan and found prosperity. Later, this existential
value became the foundation of today’s contemporary Jewish soci-
eties, allowing Jews to possess assertiveness, pride, and self-esteem
and continue to have immeasurable impact on all fields, including
economies, societies, culture, arts, science, and literature.
Ken Blanchard, a management expert, investigated 500 com-
panies selected by “Fortune” and analyzed four conditions that
they all satisfied. First, these companies have many clients that
want to continuously conduct business with them. Second, they
have employees who are passionate and motivated to give their
utmost effort. Third, they rely on just, ethical methods to earn
profits. Fourth, they utilize trust and respect among relevant com-
panies and individuals to create situations in which all parties win.
Surprisingly, they show respect to even their biggest competitors.2
Blanchard asserts that the secret to possessing all four of these
conditions is not proprietary management that focuses on visible
profits, but value management founded upon core values. An
important component to Disney’s success was the intricate balance
that existed among its theme park’s four core values: safety, hos-
pitality, shows, and efficiency. Clearly defining a company’s core
values internally is critical for the company’s success or failure. In
addition, it is also important for these values to be internalized not
only within the executives, but also within all employees and cus-
tomers. Make sure that the company’s core values are always visible
to anyone at all times within your company.
According to Blanchard, the most important step to realizing
value management is action. The most dangerous value management
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is one in which core values and actions are not consistent. Such man-
agement is essentially a lie, and will ultimately face harsh judgment
from customers. Just as there is a saying that faith without deeds is
dead, values that are not proven with action are dead.
What are some corporations that have accomplished revolu-
tionary growth with admirable core values?
“We will share all of our patents with everyone.”
These are the words of Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, one of the
most revolutionary companies in the field of electric cars today.
Behind the secret to its success lies the company’s unique patent
that differentiated itself from previous technologies within the
field of electric cars.3 For example, previous electric car compa-
nies, including BMW and Honda, used square or pouch batteries.
The reason was that these batteries were superior to the standard
cylindrical batteries in pyrogenicity, as well as energy density and
effectiveness. However, square or pouch batteries, due to its vol-
ume and structure, required large storage spaces like trunks.
Therefore, these batteries posed problems in designing high-pow-
ered electric cars with a secure center of gravity. Here, Tesla came
up with a revolutionary idea.
“What if numerous cylindrical batteries were instead installed
on the bottom of the car?”
Tesla proceeded to fill the bottom of the car with 7,000 cylin-
drical batteries. This idea allowed the cars to be high-powered,
while far superior and secure ride comfort was achieved by distrib-
uting the weight of these heavy batteries. In addition, Tesla also
developed patented technology to solve problems regarding high
pyrogenicity. Afterwards, it developed another patented technol-
ogy that allowed efficient management of energy released by the
7,000 batteries. Finally, it developed the “supercharger” technology
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that allowed quick charging of electric cars, and installed these

superchargers all over the world.
For Tesla to relinquish its rights to these patents was shocking
news. When asked if he was insane to relinquish exclusive rights to
these patents, Musk replied:
“Tesla was founded on the value of developing a sustainable
future for transportation. We succeeded in manufacturing a revo-
lutionary, superior electric car. However, if we become an obstacle
to successors of development, then we are violating our own value.
Therefore, we will not file lawsuits against those who decide to use
our technology.”
In the eyes of companies that seek own profits amidst fierce
competition, Tesla’s attitude may seem foolish. However, Tesla
chose to accept the challenge because such an action precisely
allows it to reach closer to its value. To Tesla, other electric car
manufacturers were not viewed as competitors, but as collabo-
rators for creating a sustainable future for transportation. Tesla
believed in its vision that by providing its technology on open
source and collectively developing technologies for electric cars,
then electric cars will become drastically inexpensive and its capa-
bilities will improve. As a result, electric cars will be available to
the world at an explosive rate and demand for superchargers will
increase, thus overtaking gas-powered cars. This is the future that
Tesla envisions.
Tesla’s impact, ranging from its revolutionary car design,
high-powered and high-capability technology, superchargers that
extend across the globe, and technological collaboration made
possible through open source, has reached extraordinary levels.
With its foundation in electric cars, Tesla is defining a new world
order.
As seen from the case of Tesla, companies that have and act
upon their core values can achieve greatness not only in profits,
but also in productivity and worldly impact.
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How Can You Succeed in Branding?

The history of branding traces back to the sixteenth century.
During that time, branding meant placing a mark on an animal’s
skin to represent the owner of the animal. Later in the nineteenth
century, the definition of branding extended to certify authentic-
ity of goods. People began to use branding on merchandise, such
as wine bottles, gold, and wood to represent that these items are
genuine goods made by their companies. For example, goldsmith
guilds of London used to etch their guilds’ brands on all products
before distribution. Today, the meaning of branding has expanded
even further, encompassing images and impressions of companies’
identities and purpose, as well as their products and services.
To the extent that modern economy is often referred to as a
consumption economy, the proportion of consumption among the
economy as a whole is significant. According to a UN report, the
proportion of consumption among the United States’ GDP is 70
percent. In the case of G20 nations, including the United Kingdom,
Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, and China, consumption on
average amounts to 60 percent of respective GDPs. In such econo-
mies fueled by consumption, companies enter fierce competition to
win over the hearts of consumers. According to Harvard Business
Review, about 30,000 new products pour out onto the United States
market alone. As such, corporations have no choice but to engage
in cutthroat competition. Unfortunately, however, it is reported
that 60-90 percent of all new products fail and disappear from the
market. At the same time, due to companies’ engagement in adver-
tisement wars, further spurred by introduction of various advertise-
ment platforms like the Internet, social networks, and hundreds of
cable channels, it has become increasingly difficult for companies
to leave lasting impressions on consumers. At this point, branding
has become companies’ greatest weapon.4
By emphasizing differences compared to others’ products,
branding lures consumers to desire their products over others.
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Branding adds uniqueness and individualism to products, allow-

ing them to stand out among other goods. In addition, branding
breathes unique meaning and values to products and services,
helping to acquire loyal customers by winning over their hearts.
Brands effectively convey exact reasons for consumers to purchase
their product, while generating anticipation that their products
will satisfy their needs. Branding informs people of the company’s
values and identity that are consistently represented in their prod-
ucts, and this effect helps people to easily recognize and trust the
company.5
Corporations with established power brands can sustain a policy
of premium price. Even if prices are higher than those of competi-
tors, consumers will recognize the expensive product as a luxury
item. Consumers will seek to purchase products of that company’s
brand with loyalty. This phenomenon is called the ‘Chivas Regal
Effect’. Seagram Company is a company that manufactures scotch
whiskey, including Chivas Regal, and faced financial hardships in
early 1990s. In response, the company’s management decided on
a luxury premium strategy to overcome its deficit. While nothing
about the product itself changed, Seagram priced their products
at a higher point than their competitors and emphasized its new
image as a luxury product. As a result, Chivas Regal experienced
drastic increases in sales and now stands out as a dominant pre-
mium brand among many alcoholic drinks.
Corporations without power brands must invest great efforts
in attracting new consumers every time they develop new prod-
ucts. Meanwhile, companies that successfully established power
brands can easily draw consumers about their new products with-
out much persuasion. Kellogg, for example, had established its
power brand with its slogan, “brings out the tiger in you!,” and
decided to expand their outreach from cereals to breakfast bars.
Upon launch, Kellogg successfully sold 4 million breakfast bars
in just two months. Like Kellogg, when new products are linked
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with already established brands, companies can quickly familiar-

ize their consumers with their new products. Steve Mackey, a mar-
keting expert, said:
“Among company’s assets, assuming it is well managed, the one
asset that does not disintegrate or collapse with time is its brand.”
Patents have expiration dates. Software and products soon
become obsolete. Factories break down and face relocation, while
people become complacent and reduce company’s productivity
and efficiency. However, a well-managed brand and its value only
grow bigger. One executive of Coca-Cola once claimed:
“Even when a catastrophe strikes and Coca-Cola loses all prod-
ucts and assets, the company itself will live on. However, if all
consumers forget Coca-Cola and all relevant memories, then the
company will immediately collapse.”
According to a report by world-renowned branding consulting
company called Interbrand, Coca-Cola and its world-class brand is
worth approximately $70 billion alone.6
Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi

During the 1980s, Pepsico, a competitor to Coca-Cola, conducted
its famous blind test in its marketing campaign called the “Pepsi
Challenge.” Pepsico proceeded to pour Coke and Pepsi in two iden-
tical cups and conducted an experiment to survey which beverage
the respondents would prefer. The result was that many could not
tell the difference or they preferred the taste of Pepsi. Even so,
Pepsi has never been able to edge Coca-Cola in sales to this day.
Ron Frank, a neurologist, referred to this incident as the “Pepsi
Paradox” and labeled Coca-Cola victory as not a victory in taste,
but a victory in branding.7
Read Montague of Baylor University’s School of Medicine
re-conducted the Pepsi Challenge experiment while monitor-
ing the participants’ brain activity using an fMRI machine.
During the blind test, the neurological test revealed that the
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participants’ ventral putamen became more active when drink-

ing Pepsi that has more sugar content. Activation of the ventral
putamen, which plays a critical role in response to motivation
and reward, indicates liking or pleasure. In other words, people
expressed more pleasure when drinking Pepsi. In a subsequent
experiment, he informed the participants of whether their bev-
erage was Coke or Pepsi before drinking it. Surprisingly, unlike
the original result, participants responded that they preferred
Coke over Pepsi. In this case, participants’ brains showed great
activity in their medial prefrontal cortex. The medial prefrontal
cortex is responsible for memories and recognition. Therefore,
this experiment confirms that memories and thoughts of Coke
overrode its actual taste and following satisfaction. In other
words, people enjoy Coke not for its taste, but with its associated
memories.8,9
Up until now, Coca-Cola has focused its advertisements on slo-
gans like ‘the original Cola’ and ‘the first Cola.’ In addition, the
company invoked warm images of a fuzzy polar bear and gath-
erings with family and friends, as well as utilizing unique bottle
designs. These efforts helped Coca-Cola to strengthen its image
as the ‘first’ and ‘true’ Cola, intertwined in people’s everyday
lives and evoking familiarity. At the same time, Pepsi empha-
sized its image by using young, dynamic characters to appeal
to younger generations. However, in people’s minds, Pepsi had
already become recognized as the ‘challenger’ to the mainstream
brand (Coca-Cola). As a result, when people think of Cola, people
automatically prefer Coca-Cola, the brand considered to be the
original.
Branding, the Center of Company Success

Corebrand, a marketing consulting company, evaluated what posi-
tive impact branding has on company stocks after surveying 1,200
countries spread across 47 industries over 20 years. Their results
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indicated that brands, on average, increase prices by 5-7 percent.10

A 5-7 percent increase in stock prices is an astonishing effect that
brings significant wealth to companies. At the center of company’s
success resides branding. World-class brands, such as Coca-Cola,
Google, IBM, Apple, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Samsung,
McDonald’s, General Electric, Intel, and Oracle, are well aware of
the power of brands and invest tremendous effort in establishing
a successful power brand. If so, how do organizations build suc-
cessful brands? Let us examine important questions necessary for
successful branding.
Who are Your Priority Customers?

The smaller the range of your target customers are, the stronger
your brand’s appeal will come across. ‘Buffalo Wild Wings’, which
owns several stores near most U.S. universities and has become a
brand associated with “chicken and beer,” understood the impor-
tance of prioritizing customers. During its launch, Buffalo Wild
Wings asked itself the following question:
“If you are an outgoing, adventurous, and young individual
who loves sports, what is the most ideal way to spend time with
your friends?”
Buffalo Wild Wings designed its interior so that its environ-
ment was ideal for watching sports games, such as football, soccer,
basketball, and baseball, and focused on its chicken and beer so
that the eating experience was enjoyable while watching TV. These
efforts captured the interests of U.S. college students and led to
great success.
Mountain Dew, a popular carbonated drink, was just an aver-
age beverage from middle-of-nowhere. However, it reformed
its sales strategy by launching the “Dew Dudes” campaign that
focused on young, active individuals who loved extreme sports. In
1995, Mountain Dew became the sponsor for the first X-Games.
Afterwards, it sponsored an American professional skating team.
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In addition, it sponsored individual artists who were young and

stylistic, while launching a collaborative environmental campaign
called ‘Green Mountain Project’ with winterwear brand ‘Burton’
that made winter jackets by using recycled plastic bottles. Its
efforts culminated to the company’s popular brand image among
younger generations. Mountain Dew is now the most popular soda
brand after Coke, Pepsi, and Diet Coke.
Ferrari is considered the car of dreams for countless car
maniacs. While Ferrari enjoyed its success through fancy, luxuri-
ous design and supercar capabilities, President Luca Cordero di
Montezemolo came up with yet another revolutionary sales strat-
egy. He decided to drastically reduce the number of Ferrari pro-
duction, and instead further increase the price of the vehicles.
Upon his decision, he said:
“Those who buy a Ferrari are buying their dream. They will live
their dream to be the only ones riding a Ferrari.”
This sales strategy instilled a powerful image among wealthy
car lovers that Ferrari represents luxury, privilege, and wealth.11
According to a research conducted by California Institute of
Technology in 2009, people believe that expensive wines will taste
better. This result holds true even when identical wines only have
different price tags attached to them.12 Similarly, Ferrari’s strategy
solidified acknowledgement that purchasing a high-priced Ferrari
will allow people to truly believe they are driving a sleek, luxuri-
ous car, while it remained a symbol of a luxurious, high-end car to
those who do not purchase it.
According to an Australian marketing research, 80 percent
of consumers purchase more products from brands that they are
loyal to than from any other brands. Just as we continue to support
our favorite sports teams, actors, political parties and politicians,
consumers continue to support and purchase brands that share
their values and strike resonance, while sharing their enthusiasm
with others.13
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What is the Core Message to Convey to the Public?

If your brand successfully defined your priority customers, then
the next task is to convey the core message that deeply relates to
their desires and needs.14
Nike, through diverse products like sportswear and shows,
consistently emphasizes one message ‘Just Do It” to symbolize
motivation.
Zappos, an online shoe company worth approximately $10 bil-
lion, and its CEO Tony Hsieh built a company culture centered
on maximum customer satisfaction. As such, he emphasizes the
message ‘We Deliver Happiness’ through Zappos’ products and
services.
In the case of General Electric, its core message is ‘imagina-
tion.’ From jet engines to generators, as well as financial services to
medical devices and media contents, General Electric conveys the
message ‘a company that realizes all that is imaginable.’
Gatorade, a sports drink company, successfully delivered its
message ‘Fuel for athletes,’ and continues to convey this message
with stronger impact by developing new product lines tailored to
athletes’ growing needs and desires.
Subway went as far as to satisfy the needs of people who had
to rely on fast food. The company introduced the story of Jared
Fogle, also known as the “Subway Guy.” He was an obese man who
weighed 425 pounds, but decided to lose weight by solely relying on
Subway for his diet. In the end, he succeeded in losing 245 pounds.
Through this story, Subway was able to gain higher ground in its
healthful image over its other fast food competition. As a result,
Subway’s core message had long been ‘Eat fresh.’
De Beers, a company that dominates the world’s diamond mar-
ket, delivered an impactful message ‘Diamonds are forever’ for sev-
eral decades.
As seen from these examples, countless power brands convey
simple core messages through their products and services.
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Steve Jobs stated that simple messages must be conveyed in

order to properly deliver a brand’s value. Thomas Friedman, a
New York Times columnist, claimed:
“It is not that complex ideas are wrong. However, in order to
deliver a complex idea to the public, you must first compress the
idea into one that is digestible. You must first earn the public’s
interest. Then you will be able to deliver the complex idea.”
Does it Stir Interest in People?

A common theme shared by popular television or radio programs
and advertisements is that they possess a harmonious triumvirate
of information, entertainment, and engagement. If even two of
these qualities are missing from the combination, then people will
easily lose interest. Branding strategy is no exception. In order
to stir interest and affection from people, it must contain a well-
rounded mix of information, entertainment, and engagement. In
2005, a Youtube channel that gained the most subscribers since the
platform’s inception was not a company, media agency, or a gov-
ernment organization. Rather, it was a channel called PewDiePie,
broadcasted live by a Swedish young man who loved to play video
games. He conveyed gaming information to subscribers in a sim-
ple, comprehensible way and provided entertainment with witty
jokes and acts while he completed game missions. In addition, he
encouraged direct participation from subscribers, maximizing
his broadcast’s immersiveness. As of November 2016, PewDiePie
amassed 4.9 million subscribers, ranking first among all channels,
and evolved into a power brand of its own.
Simply conveying much valuable information to potential cus-
tomers does not equate to winning over their hearts. Instead, enjoy-
ment must be infectious. If potential customers feel entertained
and curious due to your branding strategy, then they will partici-
pate with interest and openly introduce your brand to friends and
acquaintances without spending your own money.
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A classic branding strategy that provides great entertainment

and participation to people is called ‘gamification’. Gamification
is a method that applies game design principles to motivate people
not through the game itself but through actual situations.15
There are four game design principles. First is competence.
As gaming continues, gamers desire to become more competent
and their abilities to become greater. Therefore, games must allow
participants to become progressively more competent. Second is
relation. Game participants are motivated by sharing their infor-
mation and abilities. For missions that they never embark on
alone, they wield new powers when accomplishing them with oth-
ers. Games must provide a framework that allows sharing among
their users. Third is autonomy. Gamers feel great satisfaction and
immersion when they can freely choose and control their decisions
within the game’s framework. Fourth is feedback and reward. Any
gaming participants desire constant feedback on ‘whether their
choices were correct,’ ‘what are the deficiencies to their gameplay,’
and ‘what are their points of reform.’ Afterwards, they wish to be
rewarded for areas of accomplishment and improvement.
Point systems and rank systems are classic examples of gam-
ification that fulfill all four principles of game design. First, a
point system is one in which customers are rewarded with points
when they fulfill specific objectives of the company. Through
points awarded to customers, companies can express gratitude
to customers and convey feedback that signals ‘great job.’ In
addition, depending on the number of points rewarded, compa-
nies can express the customers’ importance and value to them.
Furthermore, by allowing customers to freely choose their rewards
by using their accrued points, customers are further motivated
and maintain consistent contact with gaming companies. The
point system is a strategy employed by the majority of card com-
panies wishing to maintain their customers while expanding their
outreach to new customers.
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A rank system is one that rewards appropriate ranks to those

who accomplish specific objectives and tasks. For example, Fitbit
tracked people’s walking and running distance using its wireless
step tracker, and rewarded respective ranks to those who achieved
specific distances or steps. Higher ranks became sources of moti-
vation for Fitbit users to exercise more actively and frequently. In
addition, people with identical ranks naturally formed networks
among themselves, and these communities inspired kinship among
their members that provided greater motivation.
How Can You Differentiate Yourself?

Among countless competitors in today’s global market, fierce com-
petition, as well as emulations and benchmarking simultaneously
occur at astonishing speeds. Technological and price gaps that
once placed companies above competition have now been closed by
competitors, while fields that were once called “blue oceans” have
become “red oceans” to create a difficult situation for companies
to consistently grow and develop. As the only cable news channel,
CNN was hailed as the best news channel, but it also provided moti-
vation for other cable news channels to soon follow suit. Now, CNN
has lost its competitiveness and its title as the top news channel.
In the early 1980s, the world’s memory semiconductor market was
dominated by American corporations, including Intel and Texas
Instruments. However, with the rise of Japanese companies like
Toshiba, Hitachi, and Nippon Electronics, the competition became
fiercer and American companies saw their profitability fall. Between
mid-1980s to 1990s, the dominance of the memory semiconductor
market was transferred to Japan. Yet, after the 2000s that witnessed
the advent of Korean corporations with superior technology, such
as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the dominance belonged to
Korea. After 2015, due to rapid growth of Chinese memory semi-
conductor companies, the world’s memory semiconductor market
and its competition look to be fiercer than ever before.
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Branding strategy that focuses on its superiority over com-

petitors’ brands has limitations. The reason is because there will
always be a new brand that is more superior to yours. In today’s
markets of extreme competition, your brand must focus not on
“how great” your brand is, but on “how different.” In order to dif-
ferentiate brands, Steve Mackey came up with five questions.16
• Who are those people that your brand can particularly

serve well compared to other brands (who)?
• What is the unique trait of your brand (what)?
• How is your brand being produced? Are there unique char-
acteristics during its production phase?
• In which field is your brand most appropriate (where)?
• When can your brand be perfectly utilized?
Brainstorm some answers in regards to these five questions. You

will be able to think of good strategies to differentiate your brand.
Remember that there is competition when you stand alone!
Is There Reliance on Conventional Methods?

In 1963, Avis, a rental car company, introduced this advertisement
message:
‘Avis is only second. That is why we try harder’
Countless brands defer mentioning facts that reveal inferiori-
ties and deficiencies compared to their competitors. At the time,
the majority of advertisement strategies entailed persuading
customers that companies’ products and services were superior.
However, Avis’ advertising strategy proved to be a hit. Their mes-
sage was honest, and their hardworking attitude stemming from
their inferiority instilled trust within customers. As a result, Avis’
revenues tripled in just four years.
After signing an endorsement deal with Michael Jordan,
Nike emphasized the fact that Jordan missed thousands of free
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throws in their commercials. Through this commercial, as con-

sumers watched Jordan continue to lunge towards success despite
his countless failures, they deeply understood Nike’s message of
‘never give up and keep trying.’
When many airlines reaped huge profits by adding surcharges
to various options, such as luggage, snacks, window seats, pillows,
blankets, and water, Southwest introduced a slogan ‘we do not
let costs on board’ and surprisingly declared these options were
free. Through this decision that defied conventional methods,
Southwest Airlines was able to solidify its brand image that numer-
ous people still continue to love.
Do You Use Big Data?

3,000,000,000,000,000,000. This is the number of data bytes that
is newly produced every day. If 1 byte equaled 1 gallon of seawa-
ter, then the world’s oceans would all be filled within 20 weeks.
Data itself bears no meaning. However, thanks to the advance-
ment of software system technology that accumulates, analyzes,
and understands Big Data, Big Data has become a powerful tool
to understand current phenomena in countless fields, such as
transportation, politics, economies, and administrative resources,
and also to predict future trends. For example, the police in many
developed nations now utilize Big Data to analyze patterns in crim-
inal activity, and can predict specifics of future crimes.
Possessing users from all over the world, Google, Facebook,
and Instagram used Big Data to build a system that allows effective
advertising and marketing for companies. Furthermore, the rise
of Big Data analytics-driven marketing companies has become a
popular trend worldwide. Through such Big Data services, you can
create a power brand with more confidence and effectiveness.17
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C HAP T E R 1 0
QUESTIONS TO CREATE CREATIVE,

INNOVATIVE CULTURE
A s the co-founder of computer electronics company Hewlett-

Packard, William Hewlett was the first to found a company
in the United States’ Silicon Valley and remains a legend in the
area. His company philosophy proved to be extremely revolu-
tionary, when compared to the company culture of standard
U.S. companies during the 1940s and the 50s. Hewlett labeled
his company philosophy as the “HP Way.” With the belief that
employees will passionately work for the best results if provided
with comfortable working environment and support, Hewlett
strove to create a creative working environment. Instead of a
strict organizational hierarchy, he emphasized horizontal lead-
ership and encouraged his employees to work with a sense of
ownership to create the best products and services demanded
by customers. In addition, in order to achieve a collective goal,
he allowed employees of various backgrounds to independently
form working teams and these teams were allowed to autono-
mously operate in order to create the best company. Through
effective collaboration among creative teams, many technologi-
cal developments and innovations were achieved, while employees
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independently strove to grow with a greater sense of responsibil-

ity.1 On his nameplate in Boston’s Entrepreneurs’ Walk of Fame,
he engraved these words.
“Men and women want to do a good job, and if they are pro-
vided the proper environment, they will do so.”
William Hewlett clearly understood that a company’s culture
and infrastructure has absolute impact on individual creativity,
and his such philosophy in turn had colossal impact on Silicon’s
Valley’s other companies that strove for inspiration, including
Apple, Oracle, Google, Symantec, Facebook, eBay, Intel, Synex,
Applied Materials, Sandisk, and Yahoo.
Koi’s Law
There is a law called Koi’s Law. A Koi is a fish of over 20 types
and is commonly raised in Japan for visual aesthetics. Koi can
be commonly seen in ponds of Japan’s famous palaces, temples,
and historical sites. When grown in small fishbowls that can be
accompanied by a household, the koi only grows up to 5-8 centi-
meters. When bred in a larger tanks or small ponds, the fish can
grow up 15-25 centimeters. However, if it is grown in the wild by
releasing it in rivers and lakes, it can grow up to 120 centimeters.
Astonishingly, a koi’s growth and size are determined by its envi-
ronment. Similarly, the idea that one’s environment or organiza-
tion’s size, quality, and boundaries determine the individual or
group’s potential, abilities, and the extent of creativity is called
the Koi’s Law.
Koi’s Law can be applied to company’s organization. Orga-
nizations must strengthen its creative, innovative culture if they
want their members to be creative and innovative. By providing
more opportunities for members to further develop and grow,
organizations must create an environment in which individu-
als can maximize potential that they themselves were not even
aware of.
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The Age of Collective Creativity

In the past, it was commonly accepted that creativity was a privilege
and burdensome ability for only a few geniuses. World-renowned
authors, artists, scientists, and mathematicians received accolades
with their ingenious virtuoso, but also had to endure unstable
mental states and much stress in order to express their creativ-
ity. Most geniuses of the 20th century are deprived by their teens
and 20s, or have committed suicide due to stress and depression.
Norman Mailer, an American novelist and critic, confessed in an
interview before death that “each novel that I have written killed
me little each time.”2
As seen, the greatness and burden of creativity was once consid-
ered an individualistic quality, but today it is no longer limited to
individuals. Through collective collaboration, competition, shar-
ing, and coexistence, it is now recognized as an ability that can be
developed and maintained.
Wikipedia allowed the ability for anyone to be able to explain
a concept and make corrections to errors. Through collaboration
and competition among 5 million users with self-motivated pas-
sion, Wikipedia became a comprehensive, accurate encyclopedia
in short time. In the case of Britannica encyclopedia, there are
on average three errors per topic. However, Wikipedia’s error rate
of four per topic almost equals that of Britannica. Furthermore,
with greater participation and competition spurred by more users,
Wikipedia’s error rate is expected to decrease in the future. Jimmy
Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, said that:
“Through a free, self-motivated process of production, revision,
addition, and subtraction of knowledge, Wikipedia has become
the world’s greatest encyclopedia. Openness and user-friendliness
are the greatest strategies for innovation.”
Another classic example of collective creativity is Linux. Linux
is a computer open source operating system that symbolizes open-
ness, sharing, participation, and collaboration. As the word “open
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source” may be self-explanatory, Linux provided all source codes

for anyone to easily access. Countless users of Linux’ open source
community continued to correct errors from original source
codes, developed better source codes, and created new, interesting
capabilities and software. By exchanging new ideas to create a bet-
ter operating system and collectively fixing the operating system’s
bugs, Linux consistently experienced innovative growth.
Created as a hobby by a computer geek named Linus Torvalds
of Helsinki Institute of Technology in 1991, Linux gained explo-
sive popularity immediately after its free service. By reinforcing
the deficiencies and integrating strengths of other open source
operating systems of the time like Unix, Minix, BSD, and GNU
hurd, Linux completed its final operating system called Linux
kernel version 1.0 within 18 months. Linux continued to pave the
way for innovation, and over 50 percent of the world’s servers and
smartphones now use the Linux operating system.
Many people wonder why Linux is the lone success story among
other open source operating systems. Experts point to its decen-
tralized development method as a critical reason. For open source
operating systems prior to Linux, a centralized developer group
dominated the development process. As such, the development
process largely depended on this developer group. However, by
revealing all program sources, Linux allowed any user to access
and upgrade patches. If a patch that you developed was accepted,
then you were proudly given credit as a contributor with the pro-
gram’s launch. With this decentralized development method, peo-
ple passionately dedicated themselves to modifying and upgrading
codes even without material rewards.
Kevin Dunbar, a professor of psychology from McGill University,
researched on how scientists make their amazing discoveries.
Dunbar personally visited university research labs across the world
and recorded all of the researchers’ actions and conversations. From
looking through microscopes to conversing with nearby colleagues,
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Dunbar scrutinized the researchers’ behaviors and strove to discover

the source of their innovative discoveries.
As a result, almost all extraordinary, innovative discoveries did
not occur when researchers were alone or when a single researcher
focused on research. Interestingly, new ideas materialized in the
conference room, where researchers discussed newly updated data
and shared their errors and observations during research. In the
past, scientists veiled themselves and worked in isolated labs in
order to protect the value of their ideas. They filed for patents
on all of their research and believed that great ideas will come
by emphasizing innovation and motivation to their colleagues.
However, countless great ideas of today are not born in closed,
isolated environments. Great ideas are born in open environments
where people of diverse backgrounds and understanding share
disparate thoughts and these thoughts are allowed freely collide
and evolve.4
As can be seen, creativity is an ability that is greatly impacted
by the organizational environment, and can also be developed
within organizations. Organizations must provide an environment
in which their members can maximize their creativity. If so, what
does an environment that promotes extraordinary levels of innova-
tion and creativity look like? In what company environment does
more creative innovation occur? What environment encourages
more creative ideas and promotes people to work innovatively?
What are these spaces comprised of and how can it be built? The
following questions will help you to create a creative, innovative
culture within your organization.
Can Everyone Freely Express Ideas?

How does Pixar Animation Studios, creator of masterpieces like
“Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” and “Inside Out,” define leadership
that inspires innovation? Pixar understood that a Top-Bottom ver-
tical communication system can be a big hindrance to innovation.
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The reason is that in such a system, the employees at the bottom

only look to the top for their decision and cannot freely express
their innovative ideas.
Pixar proceeded to create an environment that allowed young
individuals with crucial, flexible ideas for innovation to freely
express their thoughts and opinions, while encouraging them to
be the catalyst for innovation. To Pixar, leadership was not defined
as one taught in business schools. To them, leadership meant cre-
ating a company in which anyone can become leaders. Pixar strug-
gled to find answers for questions like “how can we create a studio
with a plaza-like design in which people can interact freely” and set
regulations that allowed all people, regardless of position or role,
to freely express their opinions to the director in this liberal plaza.
In order to finish one movie at Pixar, approximately 250 to 300
people from the story idea team, script team, storyboard team,
voice team, 3-D modeling team, setting team, animation team,
shade team, lighting team, rendering team, final touch team, and
music team intimately share and discuss ideas, while collectively
resolving problems, in a span of 4 to 5 years. In order to honor
its respect to all contributions, including criticisms and the most
minor of opinions, Pixar makes sure to include every contributor
to appear in the credits at the end. It even included the name of a
child born during the movie production.5
On one Monday morning of October 1957, some friends from
an applied physics lab of Johns Hopkins University were chatting
in the cafeteria. They had heard the awe-inspiring news that a sat-
ellite called the Sputnik was launched into space and was currently
orbiting the planet. To these physics enthusiasts, these friends
became excited and their conversation soon involved satellites.
Among the friends, Weiffenbach said:
“Has anyone heard the signal of a satellite? You do know right?
That satellites transmit a certain signal from space to Earth.
Shouldn’t we be able to hear it?”
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To this, the others replied “wow, that thought never crossed my

mind. That sounds fun” and showed great interest. Weiffenbach
then installed a antenna for receiving ultra high frequency sig-
nals, and an amplifier to amplify the signal and began to control
these equipment, with the help of his friend Guier. After about
two hours, they finally succeeded in capturing the satellite’s signal
at 20 megahertz. Upon discovery, the other friends swarmed the
equipment and one suggested that “it was a remarkable achieve-
ment. Let us record this because we are probably the first people
in America to hear this sound.” They recorded the “beep beep
beep” with an analog tape recorder along with the recording’s
date and time. Another friend, after hearing the recording, asked
“after hearing it, it seems that the frequency changes slightly. With
the Doppler Effect, couldn’t we figure out the satellite’s speed?”
To this question, the friends responded “Yes, as you know, we can
determine how close the antenna is to the satellite by using the
Doppler Effect. We can be the first to analyze this information”
and suggested yet another idea.
As a result, they received permission to separately conduct
this side project. Using a UNIVAC computer with size of an
applied science department room, they calculated the orbit, as
well as the exact location of the satellite. Two months later, Frank
McClure, the friends’ teacher, gathered the friends and made a
suggestion.
“Listen, about that side project of yours. You were able to figure
out the location of the satellite from a specific location on Earth.
Do you think you can reverse the process? In other words, do you
think you can know a specific location on Earth with the location
of the satellite?”
After conducting some calculations, the friends returned
to the professor and said “after calculations, we think that may
be an easier problem to solve.” This is the story of how GPS was
invented.
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William Guier (Left), Frank McClure (Middle), and

George Weiffenbach (Right) in discussion
It is obvious then, that an organization’s environment that allows

free expression of ideas and promotes respect for opinions can
bring about astonishing innovation and creation.
Do You Have the Spirit of Challenge, Experimentation

and Not Fear Failure?
About creativity, Pablo Picasso said these words:
“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist
once he grows up”
Ken Robinson, a British professor of education, interpreted
Picasso’s words as:
“All children have amazing talents. The problem is our educa-
tion and society’s systems hopelessly depress these talents.”
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There is a common trait among most innocent children. It is

that they try new things even if they are unsure. Children do not
fear in the possibility of making a mistake. To adults, children’s
ceaseless curiosity and exploration look creative and new. Of
course, it does not follow that mistakes will always lead to creative
results. Conan O’Brien, a famous American TV host, borrowed
from Nietzsche’s words and said:
“Nietzsche famously said, ‘whatever doesn’t kill you makes you
stronger.’ What he failed to stress is that it ALMOST kills you.”6
However, what you must never forget is life’s truth that you will
not produce creative results without a mindset that does not fear
mistakes or failures. As children become adults, they also begin
to live with worries about failures and soon lose their creativity.7
Similarly, the core within creative, innovative companies also lies
in this truth. It is facing new challenges and experimentation after
overcoming the fear of mistakes and failures.
An important principle within Toyota’s production system is to
‘go to the site and see with your own eyes.’ In 2004, when Toyota
was developing its new Sienna minivan for its target market in
North America, the company struggled to gain adequate data to
understand customer needs and ways to improve the vehicle. After
much consideration, Toyota decides to take a plunge. Toyota sent
teams to all states of the United States, Canada, and Mexico to
drive and directly observe their customers. With every focal point
of Sienna’s development, Toyota conducted field tests with local
customers and recorded their results. After much dedication of
time and effort in the effort, Toyota was able to discover a very
important fact about the North American market. It was that
while the owners of the vehicle will be parents or grandparents,
it is the children who have the greatest impact in the buying deci-
sion. Unlike Japanese families, North American people frequently
travel long distances as families and thus the best cars are those
that provide most comfort to children who fare worst during these
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trips. As a result, Toyota invested significant resources into com-

fortable interior design and reaped huge success as a result. The
2004 Sienna, compared to its 2003 counterpart, improved its sales
by 60 percent.8
Zappos, the world’s biggest online shoe store, is a company that
raises approximately $900 million in revenues per year. While it
has now become the blueprint of customer-friendly online busi-
nesses, Zappos also endured through a difficult beginning. Nick
Swinmurn founded Zappos in 1999 after realizing the fact that
there were no online stores that only sold shoes. However, with-
out market data about online shoe stores, he had little confidence
in its possibility of success. Also, there were several incidents of
bankruptcy filed by online stores, such as Webvan and Pets.com,
so following the conventional business model for online stores
consisting of inventory, distribution, and discount items seemed
risky. At the end, Zappos decided to test all possibilities. Zappos
first began to test whether customers even have the desire to pur-
chase shoes online. The employees visited local shoe stores and
asked to take pictures of their shoes to post online. Afterwards,
the employees would see whether customers were willing to pur-
chase shoes online for the same price. In addition, Zappos tested
payment methods, return policies, rewards for customers, and
discount methods to determine the best options.
Through direct experimentaion, Zappos was able to investigate
actual purchasing behaviors of customers and acquired accurate
data on customer needs. Furthermore, these experiments required
Zappos to interact with customers, allowing the company to better
predict customer behavior based on its business plan. For exam-
ple, it acquired insight on customer impression of value of shoes
based on discount prices. Finally, these new endeavor instilled an
organization culture that encouraged learning from new experi-
ences without fearing disappointments.9
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Is There Space Conducive to Collective Innovation?

In 2011, IBM celebrated its 100th anniversary since inception. It
was a rare incident to witness a technology company that had with-
stood a century of time. Furthermore, the company’s greatness
becomes more apparent when considering its drive for inspiration
and role as a leader in technological exploration that lasted for
the past hundred years. Throughout its century of history, IBM
has developed innovative products and services, stretching from
punch cards to sorters, watches to typewriters, copy machines to
OMR Scantrons, corporate to personal computers, from micro-
scopes to Nano-MRIs, from Fortran to the world’s first Chess com-
puter ‘Blue,” and from cloud computing to consulting services.
Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, invested $4.6 billion (now
worth $32 billion) into research and development to create a com-
pany that promotes innovation even during the Great Depression.
Even when the 2007 subprime mortgages drove the world into a
financial crisis, IBM did not reduce its budget in research and
development and continued to strive for innovation. As a result,
IBM has become a company that registers the most patents among
American corporations for 19 consecutive years.10
Like a company that encourages innovation, IBM invested great
efforts to acquire innovative, creative ideas that will be respon-
sible for the future. A prime example of such efforts includes
‘Innovation Jam.’ Jam is an IBM technology that means ‘a large,
joint online conference.’ In 2001, IBM developed the first Jam as
a method to unify the organization. At the time, many employ-
ees did not work at IBM offices, but instead worked from home
or on client sites. Therefore, IBM created on 3-day online space
in which all employees can freely respond and leave comments to
questions deemed important by employees. Through the first Jam,
IBM realized that it can encourage active participation from thou-
sands of employees. A total of 52,000 posts were left in the Jam
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online space, and many included brilliant ideas to questions that

could potentially improve the company, such as ‘how to work more
effectively during frequent travel?’ As such, executive management
decided to create a system that thoroughly evaluates, selects, and
executes ideas generated by numerous posts.11
In 2006, Samuel Palmisano, the President of IBM, posted the
question ‘how IBM can discover and develop innovative technology,
as well as successfully enter the market?’ What caught Palmisano’s
eyes was Jam’s achievements from 2001 that brought thousands
to unify as one. He believed that if 34,600 brilliant employees of
IBM worldwide came together and brainstormed, there will be
positive results for the future. Thus, ‘Innovation Jam’ was created,
the world’s largest online brainstorming conference. In the 2006
Innovation Jam, 15,000 IBM employees from 104 countries partici-
pated, and participants included employees’ families, business part-
ners, 67 client companies, and university research organizations.
Innovation Jam was comprised of two steps. During the first
Innovation Jam, the participants received adequate information
(expert lectures, relevant references) about 25 future technolo-
gies, and conducted a 3-day brainstorm for ideas with realistic
application possibilities. Afterwards, 50 select executives and out-
side experts selected 30 ‘Big Ideas’ among the countless submitted
ideas.
During the second Innovation Jam the participants focused
on the selected ‘Big Ideas’ and discussed realistic application and
development of these ideas. Finally, the evaluation committee and
business teams selected 10 Innovation Business teams, and IBM
invested approximately $90 million into the project.12 Among
the projects chosen, ‘Big Green Innovations’ was a conglomer-
ate project that combined Innovation Jam’s small ideas, such as
weather forecast technology, water monitoring system, and systems
that measure the impact of weather on water resources. Without
Innovation Jam, no one could have predicted that IBM would cre-
ate such an innovative water resource monitoring system.
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An important fact to remember from the case of Innovation

Jam is that any employee across various organizational levels can
have important ideas for the company. Companies must allow
everyone to participate in the innovation process by encouraging
free discussion and provision of space reserved for exchange of
ideas. These employees may very well have the million or billion
dollar business idea.
In the past existed the ‘lonely genius’ myth. In other words,
innovations occur through one individual’s brilliance. However,
today’s innovation is often achieved from contributions of count-
less people. Rather than the lonely genius, it is now the ‘senius
(social + genius),’ self-motivated individuals who work with others,
who are preferred. Companies must instill an environment and
culture in which ‘seniuses’ can thrive.
Can You Think ‘Outside the Box?”

In order to express creativity, there is a need to view through
unfamiliar perspectives. When people exhibit creativity, new con-
nections emerge among the neurons of the brain. A creative orga-
nization is one that link new possibilities and methods by thinking
outside the box.
Solve the connect-the-dots problem below. At least how many
lines are required to pass through all the dots. When thinking
within the frame of nine dots, then one can easily think that at
least five straight lines are required. However, when thinking out-
side the box of nine dots, then the dots become connectable by
just four, three, and even one line.
Computers and cellphones, twenty years ago, were two separate
machines with little relation in common. The majority of compa-
nies ignored efforts to potentially synchronize the two machines.
However, ten years ago, Apple demonstrated that computers and
cellphones can merge in the form of an iPhone.13 When successful,
many organizations will self-impose a framework that preserves the
status quo and become complacent. However, you must remember
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the fact that greater success will await by thinking outside the box
and linking with new possibilities.
Balder Onarheim of Denmark Institute of Technology advises
to organizations to arbitrarily link a familiar concept with one
totally unfamiliar as training to increase organizational creativity.
‘Arbitrarily’ is the key point. The two ideas need not be logically
connected. It only requires linking random thoughts to familiar
ideas. For example, let us assume that you are suffering deficits
from operating a bookstore. You are pondering how you can oper-
ate a successful bookstore. While in thought, you come across
people in conversation while drinking coffee. At this moment, you
think of an idea:
‘What if a bookstore and a cafe existed in one building? Will
people drink coffee, read, and discuss books?’
This is a case study that has become a staple highlight for revi-
talization of local economies among countless small U.S. cities.
Chain stores, such as Starbucks, do not contribute greatly to the
local economy. Therefore, active movements have risen up to pro-
mote local cafe brands in order to revive the local U.S. economy.
Yet, it is still a tall order for local cafes to compete against the
Goliaths like Starbucks. The same applies to bookstores. Many local
bookstores suffer from deficits because many people now resort to
online shopping stores, such as Amazon. As a creative method to
tackle such a dilemma, the business strategy to place stores in the
same building for mutual benefits, such as bookstores and cafes.
This strategy spread across many small- to mid-cities of the U.S.,
providing a new space of local culture.
Do You Convey Messages by Storytelling?

For twenty years, Doug Dietz worked as an expert designer of medi-
cal devices, such MRIs sand CT equipment, for GE Health Care. One
day, he visited a hospital to observe how his medical device designs
are being used for actual patients. While passing by the MRI room, he
noticed a child crying frantically due to fear of the loud MRI machine.
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The child refused to the take the images while his father tried every-
thing to calm his child. The struggle ensued long afterwards.
Actually, when a child cannot be controlled during an MRI
imaging, dangers are heightened and costs may also increase.
Vowing to solve this issue, Dietz returned to GE Health Care.
He gathered his colleagues to share the story. Inspired by his
story, the number of participants in the initiative increased and
they investigated ways to create an enjoyable imaging experience
for children without any compensation for their efforts. His story
also spread to children’s museum employees, doctors, and nurses.
As such, the number of independently motivated participants
increased further. As a result of their efforts, the imaging room
soon transformed into a space of adventure, filled with cartoon
characters, fragrances, lighting, and toys. One MRI room became
an underwater kingdom, and the MRI equipment was the subma-
rine to explore the world. Another MRI room became a camping
site, and the equipment was the tent.14
MRI Room at the University of California San

Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital
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There is strength in storytelling. Stories not only have concrete

information, but also have emotional components that move peo-
ple’s hearts with effective delivery of their messages. Therefore,
storytelling inspires people and persuades them. Conveying ideas
through storytelling allow people to fully engage with the mes-
sage. Through this immersion, companies can achieve organiza-
tional inspiration and transformation.
A classic example of storytelling is TED. TED holds confer-
ences in order to deliver emotional stories across the world, and
the conferences have shared innovative methods that inspired
many people to see new visions. Countless innovative ideas were
spread all over the world through TED, and new ideas continue to
emerge from its initiatives.
Global corporations, like Microsoft, Nike, Proctor & Gamble,
Disney, and Southwest Airlines, realize the strength of story-
telling as a means to achieve corporate innovation. In order to
select and share stories that will positively transform their images,
companies go far as to hire ‘professional storytellers.’ You must
incorporate storytelling in order to strengthen a creative, innova-
tive culture.
Do You Provide an Environment for Production

and Testing of Prototypes?
At TED, Peter Skillman introduced a design game called the
‘marshmallow challenge’ to his listeners. The game consists of
four-people teams using twenty strands of spaghetti and 1 yard of
tape and strings to place a marshmallow highest above ground.
Although it sounds simple, the marshmallow challenge is in fact
difficult.
Tom Wujec, a designer, attempted the challenge throughout
design workshops of the world. Countless people, including stu-
dents, designers, architects, lawyers, and CTOs, participated in
the game. At the game’s start, most people set a direction. Each
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team discusses ideas and responsibilities, and begin to place the

strands. Afterwards, most of the time is spent on piling the strands
of spaghetti. After completing the spaghetti structure, the team
carefully places the marshmallow at its top. Team members rejoice
in success, only to witness their structure crumble with the marsh-
mallow on top.
According to Wujec, groups with the most failures consisted
of recent business school graduates. They looked for loopholes,
caused distraction, and ultimately yielded terrible results. In con-
trast, the top performers surprisingly consisted of recent pre-school
graduates (excluding architects). Wujec wondered why pre-school
children performed so highly.
Business school graduates mostly approached the game with
one ‘perfect’ strategy. They played the game according to their
strategies. However, they had to rush when it was time to place
the marshmallow and became disruptive. In contrast, children
used marshmallows from the very beginning. They did not consult
each other for perfect methods or dispute leadership roles. The
children first created the prototype with the marshmallow already
placed on top. They worked by making modifications to the proto-
type without dropping the marshmallow. By working with several
prototypes and repetitively making improvements, the children
acquired answers enabling their proficiency.15
Wujec asserts that we must learn from the marshmallow chal-
lenge in order to promote creative collaboration. Like children,
we must repetitively create and evaluate prototypes. Pre-schoolers
and elementary schoolchildren in Western countries spend most
of their time playing with building blocks. By repeating the build-
ing and razing their building blocks, the children learn the neces-
sary elements required for creative towers.
David Kelley, the founder of U.S. design company ‘IDEO’ and
professor of Stanford University, compared such learning behav-
ior of children to that of designers and called it ‘thinking with
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their hands.’ ‘Thinking with your hands’ refers to creative activ-

ity performed by quick production of several prototypes. During
the process of creating the first mouse released by Apple, IDEO
struggled with designing a creative mechanism for moving the
mouse cursor. One day, a design team member came across a
moth ball and immediately thought to create a ball-type mouse
prototype. After several assemblies and deconstructions, the
ideal mechanism was finally discovered. Through experimenta-
tion with hundreds of prototypes, IDEO was successful in creat-
ing an innovative mouse that boasted affordability and superior
capabilities.16
Have You Created a Working Environment Conducive to

Happiness?
Google, one of the world’s most innovative companies, receives
over a million resumes from all corners of the globe each year.
However, not even 0.5 percent of the applicants are ultimately
accepted. When recruiting new employees, Google spends a long
time evaluating not only their technical skills, but also from mul-
tiple angles, such as their creative thinking and wit. During a
Google interview, applicants will frequently encounter questions
that require creativity and fast thinking.
“How many golf balls would fit inside a school bus?”
“You have shrunk and found yourself trapped in a blender. In
sixty seconds, the blender will start running. What will you do?”
“How much would it cost to wash all windows in Seattle?”
“Why are manholes round?”
“How many times do the small and large hands of a clock meet
in a day?”
In conjunction with massive investments of Google to select
creative individuals, it also pays close attention to building a com-
pany culture in which people can work happily. Employees refer to
Google as not a work place, but a ‘campus.’ On campus, they are
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free to use various services, such as recreation centers, hair salons,

laundry, dentist appointments, massage, and gyms, while enjoying
free meals boasting cuisine from all over the world.
At the center of such dynamic, innovative culture of Google is
a Human Resources team called ‘People Operations.’ The People
Operations team is responsible for maximizing employees’ poten-
tial through scientific data analysis. For example, the team noticed
a rate of females leaving the company was twice that of males, and
traced the phenomenon to childbearing. Following their data
analysis, the team adopted a new policy of increasing the maternal
leave from 3 to 5 months. As a result, the number of females leav-
ing the company decreased by half. In addition, People Operations
team investigates how people can conduct effective communica-
tion in a free, equal environment, ranging from designing dining
tables to installation of white boards.
Rooms for Google’s executives and managers are also only
bigger in size, and are designed so that anyone can easily enter
and have conversation. During weekly meetings called ‘TGIF,’
Google founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, answer questions
from employees all across the world and lead discussions. In addi-
tion, they share important company information, such as road-
maps and plans for Google’s products. In such an open culture of
Google, all employees understand and participate in the company
vision.17
In Google, there is a unique policy called the ‘20% Project.’
This policy enforces people to spend 20 percent of their working
hours to pursuing personal ideas outside of work. An employee
can lead independent projects by posting their ideas onto Google’s
Intranet and developing their ideas with online feedback. They
can also recruit colleagues who share the same passion. When
successful, these projects can also evolve to be a company-scale
project. Google News, Gmail, and Google Maps are projects born
from the 20% Project. This project provides great motivation and
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happiness to employees, allowing them to safely embark on cre-

ative adventures.
Eric Schmidt, a former Google CEO, claimed that Google’s
productivity increased when employees worked happily.18 Do you
want to create a creative, innovative company culture? You must
learn from Google.
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PART THREE
Successful Families and Question Intelligence
C HAP T E R 1 1
A SUCCESSFUL CHILD, IS IT PROPERTY?

OR EXISTENCE?
O ne cold 2007 January morning at a subway station of

Washington DC, a man dressed in a baseball cap, old t-shirt,
and worn out jeans played his violin. He played six pieces by Johan
Sebastian Bach for 45 minutes. After three minutes of his perfor-
mance, a middle-aged man slowed after hearing the music and
stopped for six seconds, only to pass by afterwards. After a minute,
one woman offered a dollar to the performer, but did not slow her
walk and passed by. A few minutes later, one man, leaning against
a wall, began listening to the music. However, even he quickly
passed by after checking his wristwatch, as if he was running late.
As the musical performance lasted for 45 minutes, thousands of
people passed him by. Only six people stopped, albeit for a few
minutes, to listen to the performance, and 20 people donated a
total of $32. When the performance ended, no one offered ova-
tions or recognitions. Only the chilling silence and rowdy noises of
the subway greeted the performer.
Here, there are two hidden, fun facts. First, the man who per-
formed on the subway was actually a world-renowned violinist
named Joshua Bell. The famous Bell decided to participate in the
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subway performance experiment to conduct a joint social experi-

ment with the Washington Post. A few weeks before the experi-
ment, Bell had a sold-out performance in Boston, and the average
price to see his performance cost a hundred dollars. Furthermore,
the violin used during the experiment was a 1973 Stradivarius, an
instrument worth easily over $2 million. The second fun fact is that
the person who watched for the longest was actually a three year old
child.1 Thousands of adults could not see beyond the appearances
of the performance to recognize Joshua Bell’s brilliance. Only a
three year old children viewed Bell without any social biases, and
proceeded to enjoy the music longest.
As seen from this story, we live in an era in which people focus
on external appearances over internal stability, while easily form-
ing judgments based on one’s exteriors. By passing judgments
based on people’s external possessions, such as their wealth, edu-
cation, and social status, people pay respect to those who have
more than they do, and conversely ignore those who have less. In
such an environment, people will suffer from feelings of failure
and jealousy if they are viewed as inferior to others, while falling
victim to complacency and self-conceit when well-off.
These situations are also readily apparent in today’s homes.
Specifically, it becomes more noticeable in South Korean parents
who place great importance in education. In November 2014, The
New York Times compared the education levels of parents and
children from 23 countries in order to report on the relationship
between education and income inequality. As a result of the sur-
vey, South Korea was ranked first in dedication to education. In
Korea, children who had higher education degrees than their par-
ents were 60 percent, while same education levels amounted to
35 percent. In comparison, other countries showed averages of 40
and 45 percents, respectively.2
Korea’s obsession with education often serves as a positive
case study for other countries. President Obama preached that
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America must reform its education by learning from Korea’s edu-

cation system. However, children suffer from incredible stress
from managing excessive academic pressures during their devel-
opmental stages of elementary, middle, and high school years.
Popular images of the past, such as children playing in play-
grounds after school, are no longer visible in today’s elementary
schools. Many children are too busy going to multiple after-school
programs.
In addition to attending public schools, middle and high
school students rely on private education, such as after-school pro-
grams and tutors, to go to prestigious high schools and colleges.
According to a survey conducted for private education costs dur-
ing grade school years in 2015, Korean citizens spent, on average,
$250 a month per child on private education, ranking first among
all countries. With skyrocketing costs, children reduce sleep at
night and manage incredible stress stemming from this do-or-die
attitude for success.
According to a report released by Yonsei University’s Center of
Social Development called ‘2016 8th Research on Happiness Levels
of Children and Adolescents’, Korea’s adolescents ranked last
among 22 participating nations in happiness levels. Furthermore,
20 percent of adolescents reported they had suicidal thoughts,
while the number of students choosing money over family as the
key to success increased.
Where should Koreans trace the roots to ranking last in hap-
piness levels of their children? Society’s penchant for competi-
tion and organizations built upon competitiveness is certainly
a reason. However, it is also important to focus on the faults
of parents who pride on possessive qualities and not help their
children independently find existential values. In light of such
a paradigm in which parents rely on private education during a
child’s critical, formative years, I would like to discuss this issue
further.
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Parents who View Children as Possessions

Possessive values refer to attitude in which individuals determine
their values based on their possessions. Parents who raise children
with possessive values can easily consider children as possessions,
ignoring their own uniqueness and will.
“After all the hard work of raising you, is this how you pay
us back?”
“You must become a doctor or a lawyer.”
“Money can solve all problems, so you must earn a lot of money.”
“How are your grades so terrible, even with all of our support?
Which colleges will accept you with such terrible grades?”
Parents share their desires to their children upon birth. The
sharing happens even as early as the child’s first birthday party.
There is a Korean tradition that in the child’s first birthday party,
the child chooses one object out of many such as money, stetho-
scope, or pencil that stands for each job. As a Korean child aimlessly
chooses an object that signifies his future, adults commonly yell:
“Grab the money!”
“Grab the stethoscope!”
Until children marry themselves and form families, parents will
constantly interject in children’s lives with their own desires. While
parents claim that their frantic obsession stems from their desires
to maximize children’s happiness, these actions actually stem
from possessive values and parents’ consideration of children as
their possessions. Parents tend to pressure children constantly and
ignore their unique traits. In addition, they treat children as pos-
sessions to further their desires through their children’s success.
Parents who consider children as possessions and pass on their
possessive values demonstrate two negative consequences.
Pressure to ‘Do’
George Bernard Shaw, a British playwright, said:
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.”
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He urged people to “not blame circumstances and become

those who choose independently and be responsible.”
All humans have the freedom to choose. This freedom is a
value that symbolizes innate rights of mankind. However, parents
can easily instill pressure within children to act in certain ways,
ignoring their unique characteristics.
“You must attend after-school programs because I paid for
them.”
“You will be in trouble if you do not review from 7 to 9. I won’t
say it again.”
“You have to in order to go to a good university.”
“Why can’t you do it when others can? You have to be like them.”
A significant problem with children raised with constant pres-

sure is their lack of responsibility in their actions. In other hands,
because they did not make the decision autonomously, they feel
less inclined to take responsibility for results or blame others.
“This is all because I did what I was told to do!”
“This is all Mom’s fault. I did nothing wrong!”
“I didn’t start it, so I don’t have to finish it!”
Children’s problem solving skills will not improve because they
refuse to take responsibilities for situations and problems that they
created. In addition, children who are forced to do things that
they do not want to do lack motivation compared to those who
make their own decisions. The biggest problem is because they did
not immerse in and develop their freedom to choose and decide,
these children do not know their passions or strengths even when
they become adults.
According to a 2013 survey (18,000 college graduates) con-
ducted by KRIVET, the percentages of students who chose a
university based on desired majors was 45 percent for 2-year uni-
versities, and 37.9 percent for 4-year institutions. In addition, 48.8
and 50.3 percent of students from 2-year and 4-year universities,
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respectively, admitted that they would select another major if given

the choice.3 This statistic hints a reality in which children who live
under pressures from parents, school, and societies become adults
without considering their interests, strengths, and affinities.
Addiction to Recognition
Parents with possessive values believe that children must have
good grades, careers, and wealth in order to achieve success and
happiness. However, human instincts always drive us to never be
satisfied and desire new and better things. Parents yearn to reap
their desires through their children. Children who grow up in
this environment will form fears about losing their parents’ rec-
ognition and love when failing to accommodate their parents’
and society’s demands. When children feel that they are not sat-
isfying their parents and do not receive their support, then they
develop an incurable emptiness throughout their formative years.
This emptiness will develop into obsession for recognition from
others by accommodating their enjoyment. It is obvious that all
people have a basic need for recognition. We are encouraged and
motivated when receiving trust and respect for our decisions and
following actions.4 Proper acceptance of recognition can yield pos-
itive results, but obsession of recognition can lead to a negative
state in which there is constant pressure to be recognized by oth-
ers. In many cases of workaholics who try their hardest to appease
coworkers but neglect their own families, the main cause lies in
their own parental neglect experienced during their youth. They
work hard, sacrificing their families and health, in order to over-
come the lack of recognition and love through work.
What Changes After Viewing Children as Independent

Existence?
If parents raise their children with existential values, and not pos-
sessive values, then they can bring substantial changes to their chil-
dren. Parents with existential values treat children as ‘special entities
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with souls just as important as themselves.’ In addition, parents do

not force their own career or job preferences onto children because
they believe children to have their own unique talents. These par-
ents view children as valuable entities that have the freedom to make
decisions and take responsibilities. Parents only lead their children
with constant care, interest, and opportunities for children to care-
fully think about their passions and make proper decisions.
Children raised under such an environment learn to control
their own future and take responsibility for it. They grow with the
hope of a better tomorrow by feeling passion and purpose from
their independent decisions. Dreaming of a positive future, they
develop the ability to make the right decisions, as in the the say-
ing, ‘you reap what you sow’. Through this process, children will
develop a positive, invaluable identity. Conversely, children will
form a negative, discouraged sense of identity if suppressed by
possessive values. Among greetings of South Africa’s Zulu tribe,
there is a saying called ‘Ubuntu.’ Its meaning is ‘I exist because
you exist.’ Like the philosophy behind ‘Ubuntu,’ the parents’ way
of approaching and teaching their children ultimately has signifi-
cant impact on children’s sense of identity and existence.5
Specifically, then, how can we raise our children with existen-
tial values, exceeding the all-too-common possessive values of the
world? How can we help so that children will grow with self-esteem
and a sense of purpose? How can we help our children to find
passion and happiness that promotes growth and development,
regardless of the amount of their possessions? How can our family
become impactful for generations to come?
The following questions will provide important guidelines for
child rearing, regardless of education levels and wealth. These are
questions that will raise your children to be unique.
Do You Teach Life’s Values with Family Mottos?

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do
for your country!”
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Those were the words from the inauguration speech of John

Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States.
President Kennedy was the second youngest President at age 49,
and was assassinated after three years in the office. In the short
time, however, he dedicated his passion to protect world peace
and impacted the world in several ways, reforming education, agri-
culture, trade, and technology within developing nations, advo-
cating for black rights through human rights activism, resolving
the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War, and establishing a
space program with the goal to land on the moon. The great con-
tributions and memorable quotes of President Kennedy were not
products of his intelligence. His IQ measured to be 119, a far too
average score to be considered a genius.6 Instead, his contributions
and quotes were direct byproducts of the Kennedy’s family motto
that epitomizes patriotism and world peace.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the second son out of nine siblings.
After graduating from Harvard College with his older brother
Joseph, John heeded his country’s call and joined the military to
participate in World War II. Unfortunately, his brother Joe, who
was a pilot, died in battle. After tragically losing his role model
with the death of his brother, John discards his small dream to
become a teacher or a writer. After talking in greater depth with
his father, he decided to become a great politician, fulfilling his
brother’s passion for international politics and striving to reflect
his family motto. John’s older sister, Rosemary, was mentally chal-
lenged and thus required special attention since young, and the
Kennedy family created social welfare funds to invest great efforts
in improving welfare for disabled people.7 His younger sister, Jean
Kennedy-Smith, established a fund for arts and education for the
disabled called ‘Very Special Arts,’ and contributed greatly to arts
education for challenged individuals. John’s youngest brother and
a U.S. Senator, Edward Moore (Ted) Kennedy was inspired by his
son suffering from bone marrow cancer and proceeded to have
lasting impact on policies regarding medical research, insurance,
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discrimination against the disabled or mentally challenged, and

children’s health insurance. Witnessing his father’s efforts, his son,
Ted, became a human rights lawyer and continues to protect the
rights of disabled people.8
As such, the Kennedys are widely recognized as an impactful
family because they embraced basic human values like freedom,
love, equality, peace, and respect as their motto and acted accord-
ingly. The unfortunate events that befell them, such as abnormal
health, became opportunities for the family to exercise the values
of their family motto.
Unlike the past, it is difficult now to find families with mottos.
Families without mottos indicate an absence of spirit or philosophy
that links the household as one. Without family mottos, children
cannot receive proper lessons on values. The reason is because
value lessons are important until the age of 12, and children first
adopt values through education before independent acceptance.
With family mottos alone, parents can instill important philoso-
phies and values onto children for generations. In addition, fam-
ily mottos will help strengthen their identity as positive, impactful
individuals of their nation and the world.
In Korea, there is a famous family line called the Choi fam-
ily, which witnessed a series of wealthy individuals across 12 gen-
erations and 400 years. While many claim that wealth does not
last over 3 generations, the Choi family was able to maintain their
wealth with honesty, despite the contemporary history filled with
colonization and wars. The family’s secret lies in the family motto:
First, do not become overzealous in career.
Second, treat customers with utmost hospitality.
Third, do not buy others’ land during droughts.
Four, ensure no one around your mile radius is hungry.
Are You Children’s Role Model Who Takes Action?

While parents conveyed positive impressions and values to their
children, there are many cases in which children behave in totally
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different ways and not embrace the teachings. The reason is there
is inconsistency between what the parents preach and how they
act in the household. In order to create a respected family, par-
ents must act upon their teachings and reflect attitude of genuine
engagement. Specifically, in modern families and societies that
rely heavily on private education, there is a greater need for par-
ents to serve as appropriate role models who value initiative.
Jack Welch, the youngest CEO of General Electric who led the
company’s rise to the world’s top, is a classic example of CEOs
with active attitude, prompt execution, passion, and high levels of
motivation. His passion was not only limited to himself, but spread
to become core of the company’s winning culture that prides on
passion and sacrifice.9 Welch’s passion was a trait learned from his
father, John Francis Welch, who was a conductor of a commuter
train. As a second-generation immigrant from Ireland, Welch’s
father dedicated his life to his family. Jack Welch grew up watching
his father leave home every morning exactly at 5. If the forecast pre-
dicts inclement weather, then his father demonstrated diligence by
going to work earlier to plan ahead for possible contingencies. His
father’s habits allowed Jack to naturally learn diligent, passionate
attitude towards responsibilities.
According to Julie Lythcott-Haims, a former dean of Stanford
University and author of “How to Raise an Adult,” parents must
become role models through household chores as a method to
raise socially responsible children.10 Many parents are overly pro-
tective of their children, and this attitude results in parents doing
most of the household chores. In this case, parents obviously can-
not become role models. Children will not know how to conduct
household chores, and can easily associate chores with inconve-
nience and jobs left for parents. However, if parents explain the
importance of chores and encourage active participation with
incremental responsibilities, then they can instill in children
a sense of responsibility. Not only do household chores teach
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children problem solving skills, but they also help them realize the
importance of their role for the collective good.
As time passes, the number of working parents also increases.
According to a fun study conducted by Harvard Business School,
working parents, especially mothers, have positive impact on chil-
dren. According to lead researcher Katelyn McGinn, girls who had
a working mother had higher education degrees, titles, and income
compared to those with mothers who stayed home. In addition, in
the case of men who had working mothers, they invested 7 more
hours per week and 30 minutes per day to participate in child rais-
ing and household responsibilities.11 McGinn traced the reason
for such observations to role models. When mothers become role
models by working outside but also completing house chores with
their children, their children will lead lives with positive actions
and attitude.
Do You Pass on Great Mindsets Through Reading?

“We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall
fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we
shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender.”
“Never, never, never give up.”
These are some quotes of Winston Churchill, the prime minis-
ter who saved the United Kingdom from the chaos of World War II.
At the onset of the war, Churchill, despite an age well above sixty,
directly commanded operations from the Navy Headquarters.
When all Britain trembled in fear from the fall of France by the
German forces, he united their hearts with passionate speeches
and provided hope. Even politicians, who advocated for coopera-
tion with the Germans, became motivated by Churchill’s speech
that preached countries that falter on their own will ultimately
perish, and provided support and strength for their prime min-
ister. He urged international cooperation through swift decision
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making amidst constant paradigm shifts during the war, and

spread the truth to his citizens with courage in the face of minor
losses. As a result, he dove into problems head-first and brought
victory to Britain. When BBC surveyed 1 million British people for
the greatest Brit in the country’s history, Winston Churchill was
ranked first.12
The secret to Churchill’s charismatic leadership and unparal-
leled wisdom comes from reading. As a renowned book enthusiast
who read five hours a day, he strongly recommended and chal-
lenged his citizens to read.13
“If you have useless thoughts, then read a book. Useless thoughts
mean that you have too much free time. If you are free, try reading
and collect nourishment for the mind.”
Books always accompanied Churchill’s life. He read everywhere.
When tracing the root of his voracious reading habits, the influ-
ence of Randolph Churchill, his father and the former Minister
of Finance, was great. Churchill grew up watching his father who
always kept a book close by his side. His father shared his favor-
ite books with Churchill, inviting conversation and debates about
them. One of his father’s favorite books, Edward Gibbon’s “The
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” became
Winston’s own favorite. He knew the book inside-out, and memo-
rized significant portions of the novel. Through reading, Winston
Churchill viewed history not as a dead past, but as a living one,
while gaining insight on how politicians should act and exercise
leadership. He once claimed that “if we open a quarrel between
past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future,” remind-
ing his country of the importance of history.
Churchill’s father did everything to get books that could sat-
isfy Winston’s curiosity. Although Winston was always ranked last
through high school, his father always recommended reading,
believing in his son’s potential stemming from his reading habits.
As a result, Churchill became an excellent student at the Royal
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Military Academy Sandhurst, using wide array of knowledge and

viewpoints gained from reading to graduate 8th out of 150 students.
Winston Churchill, who always had a book in his hands and read
over 200 pages of diverse topics every day, and his reading habits
became the secret to his success.
Today’s successful individuals, such as Bill Gates, Warren
Buffet, Elon Musk Oprah Winfrey, and Mark Zuckerberg, share
a common fact that they all love to read. Furthermore, they point
to the wisdom of books as a source of their success. For exam-
ple, Warren Buffet is famous for his habit of reading 500 pages
every day. His voracious reading habit became the driving force
to his ascension as a world’s best investor, allowing him to remain
sharp and reflexive even amongst constant changes in the world
economy.14
The following are the secrets to Churchill’s reading habits, as
organized by Dr. Hyochan Choi, an expert and author in child
education:
First, have your own must-read list.
Second, start with history books and expand into literature,
philosophy, science, and economics.
Third, memorize favorite quotes and apply them in your writing.
Fourth, develop a habit reading in a foreign language.
Fifth, share father’s reading list with children.
Sixth, give a book of father’s choice as a gift.
Seventh, even when ranking last, become the best in reading.
Do You Promote Constant Questioning and Thinking Through

Conversation?
South Korean education system reflects great deficiency in pro-
moting discussions and debates through questions. Middle schools,
high schools, after school programs, and even universities all com-
monly employ a system in which professors unilaterally teach infor-
mation to students, while students accept the information.
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Unlike Korea’s “injective education,” the Jewish system employs

the Havruta method as mentioned before. Such education focused
on discussions and debates not only develops life-long curiosity
and ability to question, but it also promotes creative thinking.
Furthermore, because of its need for interactions and active par-
ticipation, the method also helps to effectively understand and
remember the material.
According to a learning pyramid published by the United States’
National Training Laboratory, discussions-debates-explanations of
the material in pair shows a 90 percent remember rate after 24
hours. This percentage easily boasts the highest number, surpass-
ing lectures (5%), reading (10%), learning aids (20%), demonstra-
tions (30%), collective discussions (50%), and actual practice (75%).
In addition, domestic education through questions, conversations,
and debates promote a positive relationship between parents and
children, thus helping parents to deeply understand and love their
children.15 Let us adopt the Jewish Havruta method that has lasted
for thousands of years. By questioning, discussing, and debating
with your child, you can help create a successful brain for them.
However, there are some forbidden acts to consider for parents
who desire for home education built upon questions and conver-
sations. Melanie Greenberg urges these three considerations to
parents.
First, do not lead a one-sided conversation.
As parents continue speaking with demands, children begin to
not listen with care. It is that children can only process four pieces
of information at once. This amounts to information approxi-
mately the length of one or two sentences. Children will be left
in confusion if parents speak too much. Therefore, it is good for
parents to speak in digestible parts if there is a message they would
like to convey. Also, conversations are two-way exchanges of words.
Therefore, parents must also be receptive to children’s responses
after conveying their message.
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Second, do not nag, warn, or criticize.

Young children often seem distracted and are rarely on time.
When losing control of their children, parents get stressed and
resort to actions like nagging, warning, and criticizing to control
their children. However, such behaviors will be ignored by children.
If parents relieve stress with negative words to their children, then
children will accordingly respond with negativity towards their
stress. Therefore, parents should refrain from nagging, warning,
and criticizing and instead instill manageable amount of respon-
sibility in children and lead them to fulfill these responsibilities.
Finally, they should guide their children to be able to manage
greater levels of responsibility as they grow.
Third, listen attentively.
Most parents wish for their children to be respectful of oth-
ers. The best way to achieve this goal is for parents to first show
respect to their children. This respect can be shown by listening
attentively. When parents listen attentively to children, the chil-
dren naturally learn to effectively communicate with respect and
empathy. If parents are in a situation in which they cannot listen
with attention, then they should promise a specific time during
which they can listen closely.16
Do You Teach Ways to Achieve Long-Term Goals Through the

Absolute Evaluation Principle?
“We will be remembered, not for victories or defeats in battle or in
politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.”
They were the words of the late President Kennedy. However,
in a reality that requires survival amongst constant competition,
we tend to value victories as life’s greatest achievements. We are
accustomed to competitive evaluation since young, and have been
immersed in a culture which decides individual’s values and worth
through a relative ranking. Homes are no exceptions. Many parents
adopt society’s competitive evaluations to evaluate their children,
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even criticizing them for their relative positions in society. However,

this is not an optimal education method. Dr. Young Woo Kang,
Korea’s first blind professor and former Vice Chair of the World
Committee on Disability during the Bush Administration, said:
“Within the core of education are values of purpose and values
of tools. The contemporary society witnesses a collapse of conven-
tional value system, and too many people are living a life filled
with values treated as tools, and not values of purpose. Without
life’s purpose, people will only concern themselves with immedi-
ate gains from competition. As a result, people try to win at any
cost and such behavior and attitude harbors dishonesty.”
Dr. Kang was deeply inspired by the speech of Pittsburgh
University’s Robert Glazer, who first applied absolute evaluation
principles and methods to evaluative processes in education dur-
ing the early 1960s. From this lecture, Kang learned about the
principles of absolute evaluation that assessed accomplishments of
children based on their individual’s basic talents and abilities. He
believed that such an evaluation method would help children to
design their life’s long-term goals and strive towards them.17
Dr. Kang did not compare his own children, now a doctor
and lawyer, to other children. Instead, he supported their chil-
dren to take incremental steps towards their long-term goals and
encouraged them to challenge themselves with positive, motivated
attitudes.
His first son, Jinseok Kang, set his long-term goal to become
a doctor who can help blind individuals like his own father and
incrementally fulfilled his intermediate goals along the way.18
When discouraged by average grades during his elementary years,
his father encouraged and challenged him by telling him that
“You are a star who will one day achieve your dream.” Through
such encouragement, Jinseok Kang witnessed academic improve-
ments, and ultimately earned his way into accelerated classes dur-
ing middle school. With continued effort, he graduated from
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Phillips Academy, Harvard University, and Indiana University

Medical School to become an ophthalmologist. Although his
father passed away before he had the chance to cure him, Jinseok
Kang never lost touch with his special circumstances surrounding
those with blindness and continue to treat his patients with care.
As a result, he listed his name among The Washington Post’s list of
superdoctors, while ranking as the top ophthalmologist selected
by an American ophthalmologist society. He currently serves as
the chairman of Washington’s Ophthalmologist Society, lead-
ing the U.S. and the international community and transforming
the world.
Kang’s second son, Jinyoung Kang, was taught to “think worldly
thoughts, but take action locally” from her father. To Jinyoung’s
eyes, his father was an individual who strove to create better
opportunities and equality for disabled people. Naturally, he set
her dream to become a lawyer for the U.S. government to cre-
ate equitable laws to improve the lives of others, just as her father
had done. After studying political science and economics at the
University of Chicago and volunteering as a student council mem-
ber, he became a lawyer with a degree from Duke University Law
School. After working as a legal aide during the early days of the
Obama administration and having his passion and talents recog-
nized, he was selected to be a senior legal advisor of the White
House. Jinyoung Kang effectively oversaw President Obama’s
selection of judges and high level officials of the Supreme Court.
Fulfillment of long-term goals with principles of absolute evalua-
tion is the secret to the Kang family’s success.
Do You Teach Leadership of Service Through Charity and

Donations?
Compassion. It is a word to describe feelings of sympathy for oth-
ers. It also referred to as ‘mercy’ and ‘empathy.’ The ‘com-‘ in the
word literally means ‘together,’ while ‘-passion’ means ‘pain’ and
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‘suffering.’ In other words, ‘compassion’ means to share others’

pain and suffering. About compassion, Dr. Kang claimed:
“The most sacred properties that define a human being, such
as love, loyalty, courage, and faith, are prone to compulsive and vio-
lent acts based on situations. However, ‘compassion’ in all humans
is the purest form of thought and cure for the human spirit that
can transcend good and evil.”
Compassion, regardless of cultures and religions, was consid-
ered a quality of the gods. Christianity teaches that compassion
was one of Jesus Christ’s qualities. Buddhism also teaches to act
with compassion, thanking others for one’s own existence. In
Confucianism, a part of compassion called ‘ren’ (仁) is emphasized
as a quality innate in all human nature. According to Confucianism,
one must ideally adopt ‘ren’ in order to become a saint.
In other words, compassion is human’s sacred value and
spirit, evoking empathy and dedication to share others’ pain.
Furthermore, compassion can be practiced through acts of char-
ity and donation, and can be taught to children at home. Without
compassion taught at home, individuals without leadership of ser-
vice will not be a positive influence on society, even with personal
wealth or success.
A characteristic of the Jewish society that lasted for thousands
of years is a lifestyle centered on philanthropy and charity. The
Jews believe that their god will appear when true generosity and
love are fulfilled through philanthropic and charity work. Jewish
parents will organize charity events, demonstrating and teaching
ways to lead charity work. In this society, there is a stable founda-
tion upon which Jews survive in the face of hardships and despair.
People are not worried when they are poor. With a culture founded
upon the spirit of philanthropy, the Jewish people know that such
struggles are only temporary.
A common theme exists within family mottos of America’s most
influential Jewish families, such as the Rockefellers, Rothschilds,
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and Guggenheims: philanthropy and charity. Wealthy Jewish

families have naturally applied a mindset grounded upon philan-
thropic culture of their religion. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder
of Facebook and also of Jewish descent, donated 99 percent of his
wealth, amounting to $55 billion, because of his Jewish upbringing
and parental teachings.
Phillips Academy, America’s first preparatory school, was
founded upon a vision to nurture leaders of various fields, includ-
ing politics, religion, economy, society, and culture of independent
United States. In 1778, Samuel Phillips founded Andover Academy,
while his nephew, John Phillips, founded Phillips Academy in 1781.
The school’s motto is ‘non sibi’ in Latin. It means ‘not for self,’ or
‘not for myself, but to serve the world.’ Students study hard with
the purpose of serving the world and not their own successes, and
participate in local community services at least 3 hours a week.
The 41st and 32rd Presidents of the United States, George H.W.
Bush and George W. Bush, and former Florida governor Jeb Bush
are all graduates of Phillips Academy. John Kennedy II, the son
of President Kennedy, and Representative Kennedy, the son of
Senator Kennedy, are also Phillips Academy graduates from the
Kennedy family. The Bush and Kennedy graduates of Phillips
Academy learned to embrace compassion as a core value and still
continue their philanthropic acts. Leadership of service does not
occur automatically. It comes to those who act with compassion.
Philanthropy and acts of giving can be realized without great
wealth. It depends on the family’s determination towards realizing
philanthropy. Become parents who commit philanthropy if you
want to bestow the same qualities to your children. Create a phil-
anthropic culture by assigning a manageable portion of wealth
to regularly perform giving deeds. In performing these acts, it is
important to have children as companions of active participation,
and not alienating them as bystanders. While actively leading the
plans when children are young, parents should collaborate with
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children in plans and action when they grow older and develop
cognitive abilities. If finances are an impediment, then donating
with your talents is also a great method.
Do You Nurture Responsibility for Independent Decisions?

The world is a difficult one for children to face. In a world con-
stantly changing with growing complexity, children are exposed
to countless temptations, such as drugs, inappropriate Internet
materials, pre-marital sex, and alcohol. The rates for adolescent
depression and suicide are also increasing. While children today
have become smarter than those of the past, they deem especially
vulnerable to temptations from the Internet, drugs, and sex. Why
do young people make terrible decisions that can utterly destroy
their lives?
A tragic fact is that these fatal decisions are those made by chil-
dren themselves. Unfortunately, it is common for children to not
learn how to make decisions for themselves from their parents. All
parents who love their children hope their children would grow up
to be responsible men and women. Parents passionately do all they
can for their children to be responsible. They struggle to provide
wisdom to their children about a world filled with vices and temp-
tations, and how they can grow up to be responsible individuals
without parental guidance.
However, the results of their hard work usually are the oppo-
site of expectations. Children do not learn how to make impor-
tant decisions from their parents and wait until their parents make
decisions for them. Parents tell their children to become respon-
sible, independent individuals, but children themselves do not feel
confident when left on their own. What is the problem? The prob-
lem lies not with their love, but with the expression of that love.
While their parents expressed love abundantly, their method of
expression was incorrect.19 Let us examine two classic malpractices
of child education.
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First, the ‘Helicopter Parents’.

‘Helicopter Parents’ believe that constantly hovering around
their children is an expression of love. When children face any
problems or difficulties, these parents emerge to shield their chil-
dren from teachers, friends, and anything else considered hos-
tile for their children. A problem for children with such parents
is that they lack the ability to recover from difficult challenges.
It is because the opportunities to learn to overcome challenges
were veiled by so-called ‘love.’ Some parents adamantly believe
in sheltering their children from any difficulties, discomfort, or
disappointments.
Second, the ‘Drill Sergeant Parents’.
There are parents who act like drill sergeants to their children.
These ‘Drill Sergeant Parents’ operate with a basic thought that
more screaming and controlling of their children will lead to chil-
dren’s success in the long term. During conversations between
these parents and their children, parents often use command
words that imply hierarchical order. When children do not act
accordingly to their teachings, parents further require them to act
accordingly. Because children under such parents have not had to
make decisions and strictly followed their parents’ decisions, they
often lack decision making abilities. In addition, their dependency
on parents may evolve into a dependency on friends. Since they
are trained to obey their parents, they listen to friends for guid-
ance. When choosing amongst a myriad of options, these children
become followers who heed others’ decisions and do not make
independent decisions for themselves. If ‘Helicopter Parents’ say
“you can’t do alone because you are too young and weak,” then
‘Drill Sergeant Parents’ say “I will think for you because you can’t
on your own.”
According to a research by University College of London,
parents like ‘helicopter parents’ and ‘drill sergeant parents’ who
overly control their children have negative impact on the children’s
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psychological health. This research, conducted for 5,000 British

people who were born in 1946, reflected results in which people
who received most parental control possessed lower levels of hap-
piness and health than those who received less control throughout
their lives. In addition, those who received most parental control
scored lower on levels of independence and control over their own
actions.20 Mai Stanford, the lead researcher of this survey, empha-
sized a need for parents to instill independent thinking through
expression of love and acknowledgement, while supporting deci-
sions that children independently make. When done correctly,
children will develop their decision making and a sense of respon-
sibility, while acquiring a happy, positive self-image.
An International Sensation! French Parents’ Home Education

It is widely known that French children, in particular, show advanced
development in patience and independence. French children do
not whine for toys in shopping malls, nor do they bother others by
making a scene at restaurants. Even when they are young (as young
as 2-3 months old), they will wake up and sleep on their own and
also are not picky eaters. French parents, unlike parents of other
nations, also famously receive less stress from child rearing. Of
course, France’s excellent welfare system, such as free education and
medical insurance, as well as child care support, plays a role in the
parents’ diminished stress levels. However, it is still true that French
parents receive less stress from children who are disobedient com-
pared to other countries’ parents. The majority of French parents
do not think of child rearing as a stressful activity filled with pain
and difficulties, but rather consider it delightful and easy.21,22 What
is the secret to their method that allows happiness for both parents
and children?
French parents rarely use the term ‘discipline,’ and only do so
in situations that involve punishment. In addition, French parents
do not consider education to be confined to schools, but instead
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as a concept that applies to everyday activities. French parents

will teach by embodying the education philosophy that learning
applies to all environments, whether at home or school. Within
the core of this philosophy, there are two underlying principles:
‘cadre’ and ‘independence’.23
First, a cadre has a literal meaning that refers to boundaries
and limits. In the context of French education, a cadre refers to
boundaries or limits that children should have in their actions.
French parents will first demonstrate cadre, and will not violate it.
Meanwhile, they teach their children to strictly abide by the cadre
that they were taught. In return, parents reward independence
and freedom of choice as long as children act within the promised
cadre.
Next, as people who celebrate freedom as the greatest value,
French parents desire their children to be independent and self-
defined, teaching independence to be an important principle.
Unlike helicopter and drill sergeant parents, French parents con-
sider children to be entities that can act and think independently.
French parents constantly apply ‘cadre’ and ‘independence’
to their education at home. For example, to children’s requests
that violate the cadre, they would immediately decline and explain
their reason. They do not run to their crying baby in the middle of
the night. Barring a serious health issue, these parents will be by
their side and wait until the child goes back to sleep. French moth-
ers will only feed their children at designated times and location.
This teaches children to respect dining etiquette. These parents
will leave their children play alone and not interject when children
face difficulties. Through such education that reflects cadre and
independence, French children naturally develop their sense of
responsibility to society, self-identity, and independence.
Alex, a friend from the University of Michigan, is husband to
his beloved Chelsea and independently performs domestic duties
without being told. His father is an American professor and his
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mother a French homemaker. I remember asking Alex about the

education he received at home from his mother. He replied:
“My mother always emphasizes sacrificing for family and
respect for that sacrifice. She always listened to me through free
conversations and provided opportunities for me to try new things.
In return, she taught me to not take my parents’ love and sacrifice
for granted, and have respect for them. There were several cadres
in order to abide by her words. First, we were not allowed to bother
our father for one hour after he returned home from work. The
reason was because he was stressed from work, he needed to time
to relax with his wife. Another cadre was to wash my own dishes
after meals. Since parents contribute financially to their family,
children without income must also partake in household respon-
sibilities, such as washing dishes and cleaning the house. Also, we
always followed an order of mother, father, and children when
opening presents during family occasions like Christmas. This
order taught us the respect that my father had for my mother, and
reminded me that our family stands tall with our parents’ sacrifice
as its foundation.”
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C HAP T E R 1 2
GOOD QUESTIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL

HOME EDUCATION
J ust as no one person is identical in the world, our children also

have unique characteristics and traits. Even the best education
methods refer to those that proved successful for many children,
but not necessarily for ‘my’ child. There is a higher chance of fail-
ure if so-called ‘ideal’ methods are adopted without considering
the child’s characteristics. This is why the countless books on child
education littered across bookstores just do not seem appropriate
for parents’ own children.
The number of child rearing methods is the same as the num-
ber of children in the world. Parents must understand the most
ideal methods for their children in order to lead a successful edu-
cation at home. They must also help their children realize and
express their potential. In addition, parents must guide their chil-
dren to think independently and lead solving problems. The best
method for parents to do so is to ‘question.’
Questions have the magical ability to transform everyday
activities at home into valuable sources of learning. For example,
after giving some money and a grocery list, parents can ask their
children “what will you purchase with given resources to achieve
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greatest satisfaction?” The question helps children to understand

basic economic principles and make appropriate decisions. In
addition, parents can also ask countless questions during cook-
ing the groceries. For instance, questions such as ‘what part of the
plant is a potato?’ ‘what nutrients preside in potatoes?’ ‘how do
potatoes affect the body?’ and ‘why do potatoes get softer when
boiled?’ promote children to seek answers on their own. This pro-
cess allows children to develop foundational abilities, such as logi-
cal thinking and mental flexibility. Sharing and thinking of good
questions between parents and children are indications of a suc-
cessful household education.1
Through this chapter, let us examine great questions that par-
ents can ask children and themselves in order to lead successful
education at home.
Questions that Broaden the Thinking Horizon

1. What are your thoughts? Why do you think so?
The best way to lead a child to think deeply and creatively is
to ask “what are your thoughts? Why do you think so?” Even if
they already know the answer, parents should spend time asking
questions and sharing each other’s answers. By doing so, children
will approach varied ways of thinking and strengthen their own
thinking abilities. In addition, the conversation between par-
ents and children will become more fulfilling. To ask “what are
your thoughts? Why do you think so?” is a core concept within
the Havruta teaching methods.2 Parents are people who happen
to know than children in limited fields. Through discussions and
debates fueled by endless questions, children will become valuable
companions by helping parents also grow with knowledge and
wisdom.
Compared to their counterparts in the West, Korean parents
are immersed in answer-driven, teaching-oriented methods. While
these methods can inject vast amount of information in a child, it
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cannot develop the ability in children to approach problems with

diverse viewpoints and creatively solve them. Not only should we
criticize the reality of Korea’s injective education method, but
we should also strive to avoid answer-driven, teaching-oriented
mindsets. The effort begins with simple questions, “what are your
thoughts? Why do you think so?’ Through the question “why?”
children have the opportunity to think about their own answers.
If this process becomes a habit, children will possess mental flex-
ibility, enabling them to perform critical thinking in various situa-
tions and perspectives.
2. What can you teach? What can you contribute?

Most parents have the tendency to teach unilaterally and take
responsibility for all the duties at home. However, while not yet
fully proficient, children are old enough to teach others and con-
tribute to the household. If parents ask “what can you teach? What
can you contribute?” to children and give them opportunities,
they will learn that life comprises of people living, sharing, and
helping one another. Furthermore, children will find courage and
confidence when realizing their potential to contribute and shar-
ing their contributions with others.
3. How will others respond?

Most children are self-centered and have little concern for how
others may think. By asking “how will others respond?,” children
can learn to empathize with others. Empathy will serve as impor-
tant foundation for a child to be humble and genuinely respected
by all.
4. What are the small things you can do now to achieve your dream?
A characteristic of children is that their dreams change often.
This may seem an obvious fact. However, it can lead to false impres-
sion that dreams are not achievable, when no effort was invested to
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actually realize that dream. Such an impression can also hinder a

child in constructing detailed plans for the goal and actively pur-
suing it. Tell your child to write his dream, wish, or goal on a piece
of paper. Afterwards, inform him to write the small things he can
do to achieve the written dream. Finally, display the piece of paper
where the child can see it every day and remind himself of the
incremental steps he must take. These initiatives will nurture your
child’s attitude to strive towards his goal without losing sight of the
bigger picture.
5. Who is your favorite friend? Why is it so?

Aside from parents, friends are the most influential people for
a child’s mindset and attitude. Children who have friends of bad
influence will adopt profanities and negative attitudes, while those
who have good friends will have positive thoughts and attitudes.
Therefore, parents must teach the wisdom to select good friends.
By asking “who is your favorite friend? Why is it so?” parents can
know who has a positive impact on their children. Parents must
constantly lead children to learn how to meet good friends. Jim
Ron, an American entrepreneur, once claimed that “we spend
most of our time with, on average, five people.” Children’s rate of
success increases if they have the keen ability to find good friends.3
6. What were the best and worst things to happen to you recently?
What did you learn from those experiences?
Through this question, parents can teach life’s truth that good
things happen in life, but bad things also occur. Children will be
more encouraged if parents celebrate and congratulate them for
their successes. When met with failure, just as people often say that
there is always light at the end of the tunnel, parents can instill
a lesson of patience required to endure hardships. The question
also brings life lessons grounded in past experiences. If parents
help their children to positively interpret any situation and learn
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from these experiences, then children will have growth-oriented

mindsets with fewer mistakes in the future.
7. What are five keywords to describe yourself?

This question helps to understand how children view them-
selves and how others think of the children. As mentioned before,
identity is not constant since birth, but is flexible to be developed
and refined through consistent training and effort. Therefore,
parents can help to develop a positive identity from the keywords,
while guiding the children away from negative or false thoughts
about their identity.
We have examined some questions that broaden the horizon of

thinking. Now let us investigate some questions for parents to dis-
cover the optimal home education method.
How to Raise Introverted Children?

Introverted children also have the potential to succeed with sup-
port from favorable environments and guidance. However, many
schools and societies have developed a preference for extroverts,
while falsely believing that extroverted children are more likely to
be successful. For example, many schools prefer extroverted stu-
dents. School systems are designed in a way that encourages extro-
verts and pressures introverts to overcome their shyness. Most
introverted children cannot adjust well to such systems and cannot
benefit from the systems’ lessons. It is a problem within the school
system, and not one within introverts, that leads to introverts to
feel emotionally threatened and abandon learning.
In households with extroverted parents and introverted chil-
dren, arguments often occur due to a lack of understanding
between parents and children, which hinder children from real-
izing their potential. Extroverted parents may think that their
introverted child is an anomaly. In such a case, parents even seek
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medical help out of concern for the child’s future. Yet, the child
has nothing wrong with him. When introverted children are told
of a potential mental anomaly, they believe it to be true and fault
themselves. As another example, introverts may even feel hurt
when forced to wear clothes that extroverts may prefer.
Parents with introverted children must understand that their
children only live with disparate viewpoints and approaches, and
that there is nothing wrong with them. For example, take Joyce
and her beautiful seven year-old daughter named Isabelle. Joyce
is an extrovert, while Isabelle is an introvert. While a kind girl,
Isabelle stayed home due to worries that other children will bully
her. Joyce became deathly worried seeing her daughter. However,
she understood that her daughter has different viewpoints that
are not wrong, and respected her daughter’s decision. As a result,
Isabelle grew up to be a self-confident individual, becoming a con-
tributing member of society by adopting positive characteristics of
her mother’s extroverted personality.
Parents with introverted children must understand their chil-
dren’s reaction to new things. Children’s tendency to show caution
and concern towards new people or environments signals those
children received excessive stress and pressure. The key to allow-
ing introverted children to be comfortable in new situations is to
refrain from excessive pressure or protection given towards chil-
dren. Parents must believe that there is nothing wrong with their
children and are, in fact, normal. Parents cannot let introverted
children from falsely believing societies’ negative stereotypes
towards introverts. Since they are still young, children must be
taught how to acclimate to new situations, while empowering their
actions and words. Parents must not pressure, but provide motiva-
tion for their children.
Finding a school that harbors no biases against introverts will
be helpful. While extroverted children usually switch from hobby
to hobby, introverts have a tendency to invest their passion into
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one thing for a longer time. Parents must lead these children to
environments that can develop their talents and provide feelings of
self-accomplishment. As they discover and hone their talents, these
children will become full of confidence. Many influential leaders
of the world were often introverts. Abraham Lincoln, Theodore
Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, Steve Jobs, and Moses were among
many who were introverted leaders.4
How to Respond to Children’s Mistakes?

If an unforgiving attitude towards mistakes prevails in a house-
hold, then concerns and worries about mistakes impact a child
before trying new things. In this environment, there is a higher
chance that the child will simply give up on trying new things. In
such a perfectionist environment, children will only share posi-
tive things about themselves, and try to conceal their negativity
and internal thoughts. Furthermore, parents use derisive words of
criticizing, scolding, and blaming because of their dissatisfaction
towards the child’s imperfection. Therefore, parents must accept
the fact that children are imperfect in many ways and are in the
process of learning. Instead of criticizing or blaming your child
for mistakes, try praising and encouraging him for his efforts. Jess
Lair, a psychologist, said:
“Praise is like sunlight to the human, we cannot grow and blos-
som without praise.”
In an environment of praises and encouragements, children
will grow into individuals who are unafraid of risk-taking to grow
from new experiences.
There was a child who always asked odd questions to his teachers
and received unimpressive grades. His presence in class became a
disturbance for other students, and he was expelled from the school.
To this child filled with an uncanny curiosity, his mother said:
“You have a gift of seeing things that others do not. You will
make things possible thought by others to be impossible.”
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This child grew up to become the father of inventions, owning

1,093 patents. His name was Thomas Edison.5
How to Balance Between Love and Discipline?

Due to the mutual relationship between love and discipline, any
child education that enforces one over the other will create prob-
lems. For example, discipline without love can bring stress, mental
scars, and anger to a child while love without discipline can ruin a
child by misleading them. Love and discipline cannot exist alone
and must coexist in a mutually beneficial balance.6 Next are four
parent types based on the balance between love and discipline,
according to Marian Rosenthal.7
The first type is called the “uninvolved parents,” those who
do not provide love or discipline to their children. They have no
requests for their children, nor do they have expectations for them.
Uninvolved parents have negative impact on children by induc-
ing thoughts of neglect in them. With scars received from neglect
from their parents, these children also have difficulty forming new
social relationships.
The second type is called the “permissive parents.” Permissive
parents are tolerant and avoid conflicts. They also believe that
children will be able to independently control themselves if raised
with love and affection. In many cases, the psychology of permis-
sive parents stems from desires to provide children with their own
deficiencies during childhood. In addition, they lack understand-
ing in developmental stages of pre-adolescents and adolescents.
With love without discipline, children may easily develop irrespon-
sible, stubborn personalities, while dodging responsibility for their
actions.
The third type is called the “authoritarian parents.” These
parents strictly control their children’s actions. They demand chil-
dren to adhere to the parents’ wishes without discussion, and rely
on punishments to discipline children. Discipline in appropriate
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situations can be beneficial for teaching children, but excessive

discipline by authoritarian parents can actually decrease chil-
dren’s confidence and self-esteem. Furthermore, these parents
have damaging impact on children’s ability to adjust in society out-
side the boundaries of their parents’ control.
The fourth type is called the “authoritative parents,” the ideal
type in which love and discipline coexist in harmonious balance.
This is the parental type that is known to be highly effective and a
role model for all parents. Authoritative parents provide channels
for conversation during which children can freely speak without
worries about judgments or blame. In addition, they will strictly
say “no” when their children violate rules and boundaries. These
methods allow children to feel secure under the protection of their
parents. Children under authoritarian parents are mostly become
self-confident, respectful of rules and etiquette, and creative.
When to Begin Career Education for Children?

Career concerns are life-long worries for any parent. Similarly,
a child’s efforts to develop his talents, apply them, and choose a
profitable career do not only occur during his school days, but
throughout his life. With this mind, here is an introduction of
a child rearing method based on Ginzberg’s theory of career
development.8
The “Fantasy” stage of career development lasts from age 3~4
to 11, and children of this age group fantasize about careers that
are distant from reality. There is a tendency for career dreams
to constantly change due to new experiences. During this stage,
parents should listen to the children’s wishes and desires, while
expanding their knowledge about various options available.
Next stage is called the “Tentative” stage. Adolescents in middle
and high schools begin thinking about careers with their abilities,
interests, preferences, and values in mind. Therefore, parents must
help their children to fully understand their abilities, interests,
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preferences, and values. Many tests, such as IQ tests, multi-IQ tests,

the Holland Code Career Test, Strong Interest Inventory Test,
MBTI Personality Type tests, Enneagram Tests, and DISC per-
sonality tests can help with children’s career search. In addition,
direct exposure and on-site experience, such as career camps, can
be hugely helpful in the search.
Finally, it is the “Realistic” stage which lasts from high school
graduation (17-18) to end of college (21-22). Children of this stage
will begin to take interest in realistic outlook and vision of the
career of their choice. Parents can help by providing them career-
related magazines, newspapers, and books so that children can
accurately make judgments about the reality.
What is most important in a child’s career education is to teach
them that career development is a life-long process, and that it
requires children to self-develop through challenges.9
How to Allow Children to Feel Secure?

It was commonly said that fathers are at the center of households.
It signifies that when fathers are unwavering, the household will
also be secure. The sense of father’s security is very important to
children. All children desire security and can only enjoy happi-
ness within this blanket of security. Therefore, children yearn for
fathers who can stand firm at the center of their households.
Fathers who instill a sense of security is like a fair, unnerved
baseball umpire. An umpire must possess many attributes, includ-
ing eyesight, decision making, application of rules, and conflict
resolution. However, it is the umpire’s consistency that serves as
the most important quality for baseball players. All umpires have
their own unique strike zones. However, if there is consistency in
the standards of the ump’s decision, then players can understand
the umpire’s unique strike zone and confidently swing at pitches.
However, if there is no consistency with the umpire, then hitters
cannot accurately predict pitches and ultimately experience failure.
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Similarly, a father’s adherence to consistency will have lasting

impact on how secure and confident children feel during their
development. Children who grew up under consistent fathers are
highly capable of adjustment to society and also easily form new,
stable relationships. Furthermore, they worry less and are blossom-
ing with self-confidence and excitement. How can we show our
consistency to children?10
First, spend time together on a regular basis.

Children feel secure when their father’s schedule is regular
and predictable. Also, they are comforted by knowing that their
father is approachable when fathers regularly spend time with
them. However, to many fathers who have irregular schedules
due to work, a consistent schedule is hard to find. Even so, there
are great ways to still let children know that they are always with
their fathers. Using their smartphones or office phones, fathers
can regularly speak to their children during lunch or breaks. It
only requires telling the child to call at a given time and wait-
ing for the call. In addition, fathers can take their children to
school and enjoy a nice drive or restaurant several times a week.
Finally, fathers can read and bless their children before going to
bed. Children will feel greatly secured from their father’s efforts
to instill consistency.
Second, keep promises.

A common reason for why fathers break their promises with
children is because they feel that the promise is not as important as
other busy matter. However, it is crucial to remember the fact that
what looks trivial to parents can be an invaluable promise to their
children. Therefore, fathers must be thoughtful about whether he
can fulfill the promise before making it with their children. In
the case that a promise could not be kept, then fathers should not
make excuses and instead ask forgiveness to recover trust.
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Third, be consistent in words and actions.

Many fathers verbally teach their children of ethics, values,
and laws well, but do not exemplify their teachings through their
own actions. If fathers live with inconsistent values and easily
violate ethics and law, then these actions leave mental scars in
children. No child will respect such a father. You must remem-
ber the fact that children expect you to adhere to the same rules
that you teach to them. A life of consistent words and actions can-
not be achieved overnight. It is life’s body of work that requires
actions that back up words. If fathers want to be seen as consis-
tent fathers, then they should not ignore the smallest details in
their words and invest great effort to exemplify them through
actions.
How to Respond to Children’s Questions

There are times when children cause an annoyance with endless
questions. This is not because they want to bother their parents,
but because they are genuinely curious. From simple questions
like “what is this and that?” to difficult questions like “how was
I born?” and “how does daddy’s sperm travel to mommy?,” there
is no end to surprises with children and their questions. With
increased intellectual capacity, they ask even more questions to
their parents. If parents do not know how to appropriate respond
to these questions and reply with ignorance and insignificance,
then they may as well throw away valuable opportunities to expand
their children’s creativity, imagination, and intellect. How should
parents respond to children’s questions?
First, do not respond emotionally. Even if the questions seem
silly and incomprehensible, parents should not smirk and pass
judgments. If children ask questions when they are especially busy,
then parents should promise to hear their questions in an hour
and listen. Parents should never show anger or ignorance towards
children’s questions because they are annoyed.
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Second, listen attentively and praise them. Children ask ques-

tions not only to satiate their growing curiosity, but also to draw
attention and love from their parents. Asking questions is a natural
process for intellectual development, and a signal to express desire
for parental love. Therefore, parents must listen with an attentive
attitude and praise them by saying “good question.”
Third, thoughtfully respond at their level of understanding.
If adults respond from their perspective, then children will have
difficulty understanding the response. Parents must thoughtfully
answer their questions at a level comprehensible for their children.
A thoughtful response does not necessarily require immediacy. If
they pose a difficult question, parents can honestly ask for more
time and promise them to answer at a later time. Reading together
in order to search for answers is also a great method. The impor-
tance in response is not with its content, but the parents’ attitude
and stance when responding.
Fourth, ask for the children’s thoughts. Children ask questions
not for a one-way lecture from their parents, but for a mutual con-
versation with their parents. Therefore, parents should ask “what
do you think? Why do you think so?” after sharing their thoughts.
It will improve communication in conversation with their children.
How to Teach a Foreign Language to Children

European children and adolescents are so proficient in a foreign
language that they most speak at least two languages. While their
schools’ excellent foreign language education system is certainly
a cause, the biggest reason is because their parents are bilingual.
European parents speak two languages in their daily lives. In such
an environment, children naturally also become bilingual.
In India, where 1,000 languages exist, there are more astonish-
ing phenomenon. Indian children speak four to five languages. Is
their multilingual ability traceable to their superior intelligence?
No, it is not. The Indian government mandates both Hindi and
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English to be taught at schools. Students who have received basic

education can speak both Hindi and English. In addition, India
has different dialects for different states of the country. Children
usually learn both dialects of their parents. In more extreme cases,
children also learn the dialects of their grandparents.
Meanwhile, the rate of international marriage has been increas-
ing in today’s world of globalization. In households of international
marriages, children learn the languages of their parents’ coun-
tries. The linguistic ability is an obvious result. The crux of these
cases is that children naturally learn a foreign language if parents
speak it at home. Even if they cannot proficiently speak a foreign
language, their parents can help their children learn it with dili-
gent effort. As emphasis, the key to foreign language education is
daily habitualization.
In the case of South Korea, parents spend massive amounts
of money into their children’s English education. According to
Korea Development Institute, Korean parents spend an incredible
amount of $5 billion a year in private English education for after-
school programs, tutors, and overseas events. Despite these efforts,
the harsh reality is that learning English is a painful task to accom-
plish without extended stays overseas. It is an impossible mission
for most parents, especially considering the financial factors for
children to live overseas.
Korean parents interested in English education should be
ashamed for not habitualizing the use of English on a daily basis.
Parents can habitualize the use of English with their children even
if they are not fluent. Parents can read a simple book or magazine
together, or watch an English movie or television show with chil-
dren. Even without fluency, family members can a lot their time
to express their thoughts and feelings in English. If too difficult,
then family members can use their comfortable language to help
understanding and slowly expand their English use with increased
proficiency. In addition, creating a family English speaking contest
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to provide opportunities for speaking English is a great method.

Traveling overseas together to gain opportunities to speak a for-
eign language is also beneficial. By showing their passionate efforts
to learn, parents can help children to emulate and naturally learn
a foreign language. Furthermore, children can also increase their
ability to think in another language once they realize the fact
that foreign languages are not memorization tasks, but tools for
communication.
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PART FOUR
Successful Societies and Question Intelligence
C HAP T E R 1 3
QUESTIONS THAT TRANSFORMED SOCIETY
T hroughout mankind’s history, the weak have suffered from

organizational violence that trigger poverty and inequality,
all under names of religion, ethics, law, customs, culture, economy,
politics, power, and education. The authority demanded unilat-
eral societal standards onto the people, and the weak endured
the violence within the set boundary. For example, during the
Middle Ages, countless women and the elderly were tortured and
executed under the name of witch hunts and heresy. The white
population of the United States gave birth to the “Declaration of
Independence,” the symbol of inherent rights of mankind, after
their victory after the American Revolutionary War. However, the
whites with voting rights did not consider the blacks as people, and
naturally deprived them of their rights and abused them.
However, despite the fear and worries, there were those who
were courageous enough to challenge societal injustices and pro-
tect the weak. They had the courage to rationally question the
rules and frameworks of society. If they felt that certain rules and
frameworks were unfair and deprived people’s lives, then they cou-
rageously fought against them. They defiantly asked questions to
the upper class community, and helped people to dream of a world
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much improved than their own. Their questions grew into new ide-
ologies and movements previously unknown to people, and helped
to protect the weak. The final chapter of this book has compiled
questions and stories of these individuals.
We live in a democratic world in which anyone can ask ques-
tions. According to the 19th clause of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, it claims that “everyone has the right to freedom of
opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opin-
ions without interference and to seek, receive and impart infor-
mation and ideas through any media.” South Korea’s Constitution
and its 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd Articles secure mankind’s freedom
of thoughts, expressions, and morals.
Article 19: All citizens shall enjoy freedom of conscience.

Article 20: All citizens shall enjoy freedom of religion.
Article 21: All citizens shall enjoy freedom of speech and
the press and enjoy freedom of assembly and association.
Article 22: All citizens shall enjoy freedom of science
and the arts.
However, the reality is that the freedom guaranteed by the

Constitution is not properly being recognized. In this light, the
questions and stories of transforming society will come across as
extreme challenges. By witnessing the strength of questions that
transformed societies, I hope that you also become an agent of
change who asks endless questions for a better society.
Please remember the fact that questions lead to new thoughts,
new thoughts lead to new actions, and new actions lead to a better
world. Your question can be the great catalyst for a new era.
Why Does the World Not Move As Written?

During the Middle Ages in Europe, a large Catholic, political fed-
eration called the Holy Roman Empire was formed in Germany
after the dissolution of the Frankish Empire. The Holy Roman
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Empire wielded the power to assign priests, and the empire used
this authority to select loyal priests and earned greater trust by giv-
ing them land. Assignment of priests was an important tool for the
emperor to maintain his authority.
During the mid-11th century, a problem arose when the Holy
Roman Emperor Heinrich the 4th assigns his court priest to be
the new archbishop of the empire. Gregory the 7th, the Roman
Empire’s Pope at the time, felt that his authority was threatened
and thus began the bitter standoff between the emperor and the
Pope. The Pope attempted to strengthen his authority by bring-
ing back the ability to assign priests, but the emperor vehemently
rejected. As a result, Gregory the 7th excommunicated Emperor
Heinrich the 4th, while declaring that all lords and priests under
the emperor were also excommunicated.
During the time when Catholicism was universal, the excom-
municated Heinrich the 4th could no longer maintain his power.
His followers and priests all left his side and internal rebellions
emerged within the empire. During one cold winter of 1077,
Heinrich the 4th personally visited Pope Gregory the 7th at Italy’s
Canossa Castle to ask for his forgiveness. This incident, also called
“The Road to Canossa,” shows how powerful the Catholic Church
was during that time. As many claimed that the Pope is the sun
and the emperor is the moon, the authority of the Pope and the
Catholic Church was skyrocketing.1
However, absolute power always becomes corrupt. The Catholic
Church became authority itself, and began to manipulate the
truths of the Bible that includes teachings of Jesus. It is said that
the original Bible was written in simple Greek for most to be able
to understand. However, the Catholic Church used Bibles trans-
lated in Latin so that only a small number of educated priests and
nobles could read them. As such, most of the people could not
read the Bible and had no ability to discern the truth. To the peo-
ple, the words of the Pope were the truth and absolutely inargu-
able. The corrupt Catholic Church committed countless atrocious
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crimes under name of truth. A prime example of such an act is the

witch hunt and indulgences.
The word “witch” means “one who knows herbology” and origi-
nates from the word “wicca” which means wise woman. However,
these witches who cured people with natural herbs were framed as
frauds that performed magic after dealing with the devil. By name
of the Pope, the Church prohibited all medical acts performed by
witches, usurped medical activities, and confiscated their wealth
through laws against fraudulent religions. The Church declared
that natural disasters and unexplainable diseases, such as the
Bubonic Plague, were acts of witches, resulting in gruesome tor-
tures and executions.2
Two standards used to determine witches were to find two wit-
nesses who purportedly saw witchcraft being performed or to have
suspects confess themselves. However, it was difficult to find two
witnesses, as it is almost impossible to visually witness dealings with
invisible demons. Most of those who were sacrificed during the
witch hunt were those who confessed themselves. Why did they
confess? Once confirmed as witches, they were burned at the stake
or drowned to death. Those who were afraid to die adamantly
argued for their innocence. However, the Church forced a confes-
sion through inhumane torture methods, such as hanging upside
down, crushing bones, mutilating genitals, starving, and depriving
people of sleep. As a result, the accused falsely confessed in order
to avoid torture. From witch hunts from the 12th century to the 17th
century, hundreds of thousands of people were executed.3
From the 14th century, in order to raise money for war and con-
struction of large cathedrals, the Vatican sold indulgences that
awarded forgiveness for people’s sins. The history of indulgences
can be traced to the Crusades of the 12-13th centuries. The Vatican
declared that soldiers who died in battle were given salvation
because of their good deed. Soon, the Vatican proceeded further
and accepted financial support as equivalent to performance of
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good deeds. The centuries-long distribution of indulgences con-

tained phrases like “indulgences can bring ancestors to heaven”
and “indulgences forgive sins yet committed” and became a mere
marketing campaign with little relation to Christ’s teachings. With
the prevalence of indulgences, merchants tricked others by selling
fake holy items that promised “100 days of forgiveness for 1 item”
and “exempt from punishment in purgatory.”4
In such dark times, Martin Luther arose as the reformer of
religions. As a man preparing for his priesthood, Luther lived a
strict, regimented life of worship. However, questions like “is a life
of obedience and purity enough for salvation?” never ceased to
escape his mind. In 1510, Luther had the opportunity for a one-
month stay in Rome to complete a task for the priest committee.
He visited the grand cathedral, Archbasilica of St. John Lateran,
and just like other visitors, crawled up the cathedral’s 28 steps
reciting the Lord’s Prayer. At the time, people believed that this
act will bring them salvation. However, Luther thought “will I be
saved by doing this?” and could not abandon his skepticism. He
also became enraged at the sight of a corrupt church that led the
selling of indulgences.
Martin Luther’s theological thirst compelled him to pay closer
attention to how the Bible defined salvation. Afterwards, he closely
studied correspondences of Paul in the New Testament, which led
to more questions.
“Why is the Church not teaching or acting upon the words of
the Bible?”
“Why is the world different from that of the Bible?
In Luther’s eyes, the Bible clearly taught that “salvation is not
achieved through one good deed, method, or human strength,
but instead achieved only through belief in Christ, the savior.”
However, the Catholic Church’s acts and teachings of the time
were too disparate from the teachings that Luther had read. His
questions and thoughts soon evolved into an argument that the
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Church should “return to the original teachings of the Bible.” On

October 31, 1517, Luther posted his “Ninety-Five Theses” on the
front doors of the Wittenberg Church. The “Ninety-Five Theses”
were printed in mass through the new printing press and within
two weeks spread across Germany, and throughout Europe in
just two months. Ultimately, this incident became the catalyst for
Europe’s Religious Reformation.
Portrait of Martin Luther, 1529
In order for the world to follow biblical teachings, Luther believed

that translations of the Bible were necessary so that any German
can easily understand the teachings. Germany was divided between
speakers of North German and Southern German, with as many
as 20 local dialects. Despite the challenge, Luther created a trans-
lated Bible that catered to both North and South German speak-
ers, and approximately 260 copies of the translations were printed
and sold across Germany from 1522 to 1546. Literate people gath-
ered at the plaza to read Luther’s translated texts and countless
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others learned the accurate teachings of the Bible. The chain of

events allowed those ignorant about the Bible to finally learn its
truth.5 Thanks to Luther’s impact, the Reformation spread across
Switzerland, England, and rest of Europe, which marked the end
of the Middle Ages, centered around the Pope, and the beginning
of the modern era.
Who is the Owner of this Country?

“The Republic of Korea shall be a democratic republic. The sover-
eignty of the Republic of Korea shall reside in the people, and all
state authority shall emanate from the people.”
It is Article I of the Korean Constitution. The Constitution
clearly states that the owner of the country is not a representative,
but the people themselves. Yet, the reality is different. Do you truly
believe that all power comes from the people, as mandated by the
Constitution? When was the last time the people properly exer-
cised their inherent authority and power in the history of Korea?
Just 45 years ago, in order to maintain dictatorship, the Chung
Hee Park administration passed the “Yushin Constitution” by con-
ducting activities outside the legal boundaries, such as suspending
laws and dissolving the National Assembly. The Constitution’s orig-
inal first Article was revised to “Its sovereignty lies with the people,
and the people exercise their rights through representation or
voting.” Presidential elections were changed from direct polls to
indirect elections through the Unification People’s Committee.
Furthermore, President Park guaranteed continued power by
dominating the three branches of government: the legislative, the
executive, and the legal. The administration locked up and tor-
tured politicians of opposing parties, while framing students and
religious figures who protested for their rights guaranteed in the
Constitution to be Communist rebels, resulting in their executions
and imprisonments. The Yushin system is a painful part of Korea’s
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history, showing total denial of legal justice and the disregard of

constitutional justice by depriving people of their rights.6
On October 26, 1979, Jae Kyu Kim, the director of the Central
Intelligence Agency of Korea, assassinated President Park and the
Yushin system came to an end, but the dream of realizing people’s
sovereignty still remained a tall task. On December 12 of the same
year, a new military faction, led by Chun Doo Hwan and Noh Tae
Woo, started a coupd’état and rose to power with an emergency
declaration of national martial law on May 17, 1980. On May 18,
the people of Gwangju and the Jeollanam-do province started a
democratic movement in protest of the military faction that vio-
lated the Constitution and democratic justice, leading to military
response that resulted in many civilian deaths. By dominating the
media and conducting indirect elections, the new faction showed
no regard for basic democracy. Despite so, the people did not
give up their movements to regain their rights. They continued
to shout:
“Who are the owners of this country?”

“Are we not the owners?”
“Let us realize democracy centered around the people!”
As a result of the people’s efforts, the following “Munmin (mean-

ing ‘civilian’)” administration (President Young Sam Kim), the
“Kukmin (meaning ‘for the people’)” administration (President
Kim Dae Joong), and the “Chamyeo (meaning ‘participating’)”
administration (President Roh Moo Hyun) allowed the ideal
democracy to be realized, one dreamt by many democratic activ-
ists and that centers around the people.
In 2014, a Korean soap opera called “Jung Do Jun” became
hugely popular. The soap opera featured a revolutionary named
Jung Do Jun and his adventures during the transition from late
corrupt Koryo dynasty to the onset of the Chosun dynasty in the
14th century. However, is it truly revolutionary for Koryo to fall and
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Chosun to rise? In order to be revolutionary, there must be great

changes in the societal, political systems for an improved society.
For example, the civil revolutions of England and France during
the 17th and 18th centuries fought against absolute monarchy, con-
structing a society of liberty and equality. In contrast, however, the
revolution that ended Koryo and began Chosun only consisted of
a change in names of the royal bloodline from “Wang” to “Lee,”
without significant changes to societal, political policies. Hence,
the revolution is also referred to as the “Name Revolution.” For
thousands of years on the Korean peninsula, until the establish-
ment of the contemporary nation, there were no civil revolutions
of, by, and for the people and only “Name Revolutions” and change
in bloodlines. Kings and the ruling class always stayed on top, suf-
focating the lower class and its people with their authority.7
Today’s democracy was possible through the efforts of Korean
people. However, many of these efforts were just “Name Revolutions”
and administrative changes, while political leadership exists that
does not fear the people and disrupt justice by manipulating the
people. These corrupted people used authority as a right, not a
privilege granted for promising its people to serve them. They did
not strive to create a society of freedom in which all are equal in
the face of law, but created an unfair one in which wealth can be
made without respect for the law. It was a society of Chaebols that
dominated the economy through their political ties, not a soci-
ety that promoted free competition and mutual growth. A prime
example of this is the Geun Hye Park administration’s Soonsil
Choi scandal in 2016.
Presidents are elected by the people every five years, and by
Korea’s republic system and as mandated by the Constitution,
they work with authority assigned to them by the people. To run a
nation, Presidents have access to the most recent information and
knowledge, and this access should be used for national security
and advancement of national interests. However, it became pub-
licly known that Soonsil Choi, a unofficial confidante of President
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Park, meddled in international and political affairs, including

Presidential debates, inauguration speech, and the close of Kaesung
Industrial Complex, as well as involvement in national affairs. The
people were outraged by this national scandal that threatened con-
stitutional justice of Korea. In addition, President Park’s involve-
ment in Choi’s use of the Milieu trust fund and K Sports trust fund
to raise over $80 million from corporations, her another confi-
dante, Eun Taek Cha, leading the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and
Tourism by planning corrupt gymnastics events, illegal entrance
of Choi’s daughter, Yu Ra Jung, to Ewha Women’s University and
her acceptance of benefits from Samsung during her time as an
athlete, Blue House aides, Jun Choo Yoon and Young Sun Lee, con-
ducting favors for Choi, and Choi’s involvement in the selection of
ministers and high-level officials. These revelations stirred disap-
pointments and panic across the people towards the Park admin-
istration, fueling the rumors that Choi was the real leader of the
country and that Korea was actually the ‘Republic of Choi’.
“Who is the owner of the country?”
To this question, the Constitution has always answered “the peo-

ple,” and this fact will not change. However, we should not become
complacent in its protection. Jin Hyung Joo, the former president
of Hanwha Securities, warned that these incidents, such as the
Choi scandal, that destroy people’s rights will only repeat them-
selves in the reality of Korea’s political and financial systems, in
which authority is centered on the President, economic power is
concentrated amongst Chaebols, and overexertion of power by
those responsible in leading the nation.8
Citizens must continuously remain suspicious and question “who
is the owner of the country?” People must observe and rectify the
abuse of power by their representatives, while maintaining a just,
equal society. This attitude will make sure the representatives are true
servants of the people and preserve people’s rights.
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2016–17 South Korean protests, “Candlelight

Struggle” for President Park’s impeachment
Remember that candle lights will flicker in the face of wind. The
winds are always biding their time to extinguish the lights when
they least expect it.
Why Can’t People be Respected for Basic Human Rights
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity

and rights. They are endowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in
a spirit of brotherhood.”
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article I
“Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set

forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind,
such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or
other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth
or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made
on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international
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status of the country or territory to which a person belongs,

whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or
under any other limitation of sovereignty.”
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article II
Declared by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948, the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights claims that people have
inherent, absolute rights since birth, or their “human rights.”
Those with human rights have the right to life of equality and
without discrimination, the right to freedom and respect for their
thoughts, conscience, and expression, and the right to protec-
tion as a laborer. However, human rights are not without costs.
The history of human rights has developed through courageous
fights, efforts, and sacrifices of those who vowed to protect the
rights given to them by celestial forces. Human rights are granted
to people and their societies that courageously fight against anti-
human rights authorities. These just guardians of human rights
cried “why can’t we be respected as human beings” and dedicated
their passion to eliminate discrimination for everyone.
In a male-dominated society, women did not have voting rights
until the 20th century. This indicates that people believed women
to lack decision making skills, while ignoring to view women as
human beings.9 Contemporary concepts of human rights, such as
basic human respect, liberty, and equality, established by the French
Revolution actually only applied to the rights of men. Olympe de
Gouges, a French civil activist, raised concerns about this inequality.
She criticized that the “declaration of human rights” established by
the 1789 French Revolution excluded women, and declared “dec-
laration of women’s rights” that asserted free rights of women to
participate in public affairs, marry, and own property just as men
do. In response to her initiatives, she faced death by the guillotine.
Even before her death, Gouges claimed “women have the right
to mount the scaffold; they should likewise have the right to mount
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the rostrum” and strove to create a world in which women receive

equal respect as their male counterparts. Her life of fiery passion
inspired people to adopt new perspectives on traditional gender
roles that emphasized domestic, maternal values of women, dis-
regarded their sexual rights and protection from violence and
discrimination, and excluded women from political and policy
decisions. Her life served as the catalyst for countless female activ-
ists to join the women’s rights movement across the world.10
Through their sacrifices and efforts, New Zealand became the
first country to recognize female voting rights in 1893, while wom-
en’s enfranchisement followed in most countries, including the
United Kingdom (1915), Ireland (1918), the Netherlands (1919),
the United States (1920), France (1944), South Korea (1948),
Switzerland (1971), Qatar (1999), the Arab Emirates (2005), and
Saudi Arabia (2015).11
During the advent of the 16th century, the invaders from Spain
and Portugal imperialized the American continent. They employed
indigenous people as slaves in fields and mines. As many Native
Americans died due to diseases from Europe and maltreatment,
the Spaniards and the Portuguese began “shipping” African slaves
to use as slaves. In addition, other European countries such as
France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, also partici-
pated in these acts. The African slaves were shoved into cargo ships
like luggage, while spending months in cramped, poorly ventilated
rooms like chickens in a coop.12
Specifically, the whites of the South developed a large agri-
cultural economy called “plantations” through their use of black
slaves. Slaves of plantations had no rights to marriage, property,
or freedom, and worked most of the day. Their dilapidated living
quarters mostly did not have furniture or heating. When slaves
formed families, the owners freely traded the slaves’ parents and
even the children. From 16th to 19th centuries, Europeans brought
12 million slaves from Africa, and almost 2 million died in cargos
on their way.13
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What was the reason for black slaves to receive such treatment?
The reason was because the whites did not view the blacks as equal
human beings. The whites, including famous philosophers, sociol-
ogists, and decision makers spread the common belief that blacks
were animals that were obedient yet barbaric, showing laziness,
dependence, and untrustworthiness.
The problem of slavery faced another turn after the U.S. Civil
War. While the industrial North required cheap labor, the agri-
cultural South required working slaves to maintain its farms. This
economic difference led to the Civil War in 1861.
During the height of the war in September 1862, President
Abraham Lincoln, who led the North, declared a preliminary
warning to free the slaves, and in January of the following year,
declared the “Emancipation Proclamation.” With the North’s vic-
tory in 1865 and a revised Constitution that banned slavery across
the nation, slavery was finally abolished in the United States.14
Even so, the whites’ failure to recognize the blacks as human
beings ensued. After the abolishment of slavery, the whites’ dis-
crimination towards black continued for a hundred years. Until the
1950s, many facilities, ranging from public bathrooms to schools,
were segregated. African Americans were thoroughly discrimi-
nated in areas of voting, education, labor, and public facilities.
Finally, in the 1950s, the struggle for recognition of their rights
began for African Americans. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks,
a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, was returning home from
work on a bus. In Alabama, where black discrimination was prev-
alent, segregation on buses was strictly observed. While African
Americans were allowed to sit in the middle if the seats were empty,
they had to give their seats up if a white person requested them.
As more whites boarded the bus, the driver demanded Parks and
three others to move to the back of the bus. The three passen-
gers obliged, but Parks denied the request and subsequently was
arrested for violating the laws of Montgomery.
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With the news of Rosa Parks spreading across the nation,

African Americans began bus boycotts, led by Reverend Martin
Luther King Jr. They cried for equal respect on buses, hiring of
black drivers, and bus seats available for all. Panicked by these
movements, the city of Montgomery arrested important figures
involved with the boycotts and suppressed the protestors. In addi-
tion, the city took punitive actions, such as loss of jobs for all activ-
ists including Rosa Parks. Despite these responses, the people did
not give up and continued their peaceful protests. In the end, the
bus companies of Montgomery acquiesced to demands due to suf-
fering profits. The black rights activists requested a hearing to the
Supreme Court regarding segregation, and in 1956, the Court
delivered its verdict in favor of the activists. The hearing was tele-
vised across the country, and this national recognition became yet
another stimulus that spurred on the Black Rights Movement.
The Black Rights Movement reached its peak during the
“March on Washington” of 1963. Over 250,000 African Americans
and white supporters gathered in front of the Abraham Lincoln
Memorial. In front of countless spectators, Reverend King cap-
tured the hearts of many with his famous speech “I have a dream.”
This monumental scene, televised internationally, played an
important role in shattering prejudices towards blacks and sup-
porting causes to eliminate racial discrimination. Finally, in 1965,
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill enfranchising African
Americans, culminating in successful voting rights for blacks.
Now, let us examine the problem of Korea’s adolescent rights
that has been scrutinized as a critical issue. The crux of the prob-
lem concerning adolescent rights lies in the question “does our
society respect adolescents as human beings?,” just as it did for
women’s rights and black rights. Korean societies have viewed ado-
lescents as mechanical and weak, unable to make self-guided deci-
sions and requiring parental guidance and protection. Societies
also did not recognize adolescents as citizens who have rights to
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participate and decide in affairs of their communities. When con-

sidering the history of human rights, rights of children and ado-
lescents are areas that emerged later as an area of focus. Only in
1989 was the “UN Convention on the Rights of the Child” founded
and redefined “subjects for protection” to “independent citizens”
and “those seeking welfare” to “citizens who seek justice.” Despite
these efforts, Korean societies still face reality firmly entrenched
in protectionism.15
Perhaps this is why physical discipline is still prevalent in many
schools, and schools attempt to control their students through
mandatory uniforms. Although people are born with disparate
physical features and hair styles, students have no choice but to fol-
low school rules. Furthermore, students who attend private schools
run by religious organizations must attend religious services and
are required to enroll in religion classes. Schools do not view stu-
dents as individuals who can solve problems on their own, and
instead enforce them to observe rules deemed by schools to be
beneficial for students. There are schools that force students to
study 15 hours a day including after school studies, all for the pur-
pose of improved academic performance (it is known that Korean
adolescents study for the longest period in the world). Teachers will
repeatedly confiscate students’ phones and force students to do
favors without hesitation. In many cases, teachers use community
service as a reason to ask students “how much will you pay?” instead
of asking “will you participate?” which can feel unfair to students.
In order to prevent further violations of adolescent rights, the
“Student Human Rights Ordinance” was enacted. For this enact-
ment, demonstrations led by students who yearned to be respected
as rightful citizens played a big role. In 2009, in order to protect the
rights of students, Sang Gon Kim, the superintendent of Gyeonggi-do
province, created the “Student Human Rights Ordinance Commit-
tee” and enacted the Ordinance after the 250-student participation
planning group reviewed various opinions. At this time, students
succeeded in obtaining 85,000 signatures of students who agreed
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with the intentions of the Ordinance, and these efforts culminated

to the National Assembly’s official announcement of the Student
Human Rights Ordinance in 2010. The Student Human Rights
Ordinance included prohibition of physical discipline and forced
after-school studies, freedom in choosing hair styles, and rights to
participate in the Office of Education’s processes to develop educa-
tion policies. However, the Ordinance was observed only in localities
of Seoul, Gyeongg-do, Gwangju, and Jeollabuk-do, and even these
areas did not effectively enforce the Ordinance. Once the Student
Human Rights Ordinance was passed, the Ministry of Education,
Science, and Technology issued an official order for teachers, stu-
dents, and parents to collectively decide on school policies, regard-
less of the Ordinance. As a result, school rules had superseded local
governments’ ordinances. The problem is that while the Ordinance
mandates respect for students to be observed even if teachers, stu-
dents, and parents decide school policies, the reality is that schools
do not teach students of their rightful entitlements. Within strict
school rules, it is difficult for students to be courageous and stand
up to these injustices.16
To respect and protect adolescent rights is, in itself, important
education for adolescents to become healthy citizens who respect
the rights of others. However, schools continue to teach that atti-
tudes succumbing to violence, injustice, and authority are consid-
ered “student-like” and contribute to forging society’s laws and
culture against humanity. Yet, the future looks optimistic consid-
ering the fact that students’ civic consciousness and participation
grow larger.
During October and November of 2016, countless adolescents,
including those preparing for national university entrance exams,
gathered at the candlelight rally calling for President Geun Hye
Park’s impeachment to fight against injustices and called for “ado-
lescents are also rightful citizens.” With more adolescents retali-
ating with recognition of their rights and civic consciousness,
adolescent rights will be further extended.
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What is the Cause of Poverty?

England, the country that achieved democracy and maximization
of human productivity through civil revolution and the Industrial
Revolution that occurred in the same period, embodies optimism
that “all people will be prosperous.” Also, policies on reduction of
working hours and labor unions, which were enacted to solve labor
rights problems during the Industrial Revolution, were anticipated
to create a happy environment for laborers. However, reality proved
different. Many poor people still existed, with their numbers rising
continuously. For example, the number of people who lost their
ability to work due to labor accidents, people who could not survive
on small income, and orphans on the streets continued to increase.
The people of Great Britain were flustered with questions.
“Why is the country becoming poorer? What is the cause of

poverty?”
At the time, the British people naively believed that poverty is the
effect of individual’s laziness, as well as lack of self-control and dili-
gence. However, in the face of rapidly spreading poverty, people
began to shift their attention from individuals to societies in order
to seek the cause. In 1899, the United Kingdom became the first
country in history to explore the cause of poverty. The investiga-
tion’s results revealed that while individual’s lack of self-control
was a cause of poverty, its impact was minimal. The biggest reason
was that low wages made it impossible for people to escape the
cycle of poverty. During those times, families gave birth to many
children, and people could not support their families with such
low wages. The investigation confirmed to the British that poverty
occurs not because of individuals, but because of society’s struc-
ture and organization. Afterwards, the United Kingdom enacted
a welfare policy of minimum wage to increase wages for all labor-
ers.17 However, the minimum wage policy was not sufficient. Plenty
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of poor people still suffered from poverty. As a result, people con-

tinued to ask themselves of the causes of poverty.
First, a British political economist named Thomas Malthus
asserted that the cause of poverty is a precipitous increase in popu-
lation. According to Malthus, even if productivity increased 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, …. in a sequential manner due to the Industrial Revolution,
people can only become poorer if population increased 1, 2, 4,
8, 16, … in an exponential pattern. He claimed that population
increased exponentially after the Industrial Revolution because
the Revolution allowed improvements in people’s survival meth-
ods. The economists who preceded Malthus believed that a popu-
lation increase will lead to increase in labor, thus contributing to
economic developments. After Malthus, however, many economists
believed that a rapid increase in population leads to loss of produc-
tivity once it exceeds acceptable capacity. Unfortunately, Malthus’
population theory was used by the government to justify its efforts
to limit population without protecting human rights. William Pitt,
the former Prime Minister, halted support for the poor with the
population theory’s logic as the basis of his decision.
Malthus’ population theory survived for over 200 years, even-
tually making its way to China and Korea, where concepts of
human rights were barely observed. Citing similar reasons as the
British government, China and Korea initiated a powerful birth
control policy that ignored human rights. Malthus’ population
theory brought monumental impact on the entire world. However,
is the theory logically correct? Like what his theory may suggest,
did everyone become poorer with demands exceeding supply as
population increased? It did not happen. Just as Peter Diamandis,
the president of X Prize Foundation, claimed that humanity’s pro-
ductivity did not only increase arithmetically, but rather increased
exponentially, it seems that Malthus did not consider this fact.
Let us return to the question “what is the cause of poverty.”
After the introduction of Malthus’ population theory, scholars who
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disagreed with his assertions emerged. David Ricardo, an econo-

mist, asserted that poverty ensued despite increased productivity
because the benefits of increased productivity were only enjoyed
by a few land owners, not simply due to increase in population.
In his view, population increase was not a direct cause of poverty.
As population increases, more food is required. This increases
demand for land, and farmland prices naturally increased. As
farmland prices increased, costs for housing, factories, and offices
also soared. As a result, increased productivity ultimately triggered
rises in land prices, which led to benefits of increased productivity
reaped by landowners, not laborers or entrepreneurs. This was the
Ricardo’s direct logic behind the cause of poverty.
Ricardo asserted importation of food through free trade as a
way to depreciate land prices, according to principles of free market
economy. He called for importation of grains from agricultural
nations such as Italy and Spain. The reason was that if demand
for land decreased due to food imports, then land prices will also
fall and benefits will be returned to laborers and entrepreneurs.
David Ricardo’s logic was further extended by Henry George,
another economist. George recommended a policy that returned
all unearned income and eliminated income tax, which garnered
much support.18
Yet, Karl Marx put forth an answer that shattered the framework
of conventionality. Marx believed that the cause of poverty traces
back to imbalance of wealth driven by widening gap between capi-
talists and laborers within the capitalist system. His assertion was
that the capitalists’ profits through injection of capital, production,
and sales were results of excess labor of the proletariat, and that
these laborers did not receive fair compensation. Capitalists must
survive fierce competition amongst themselves. In order to main-
tain capitalist’s status, he must decrease labor costs and increase
his own profits. This way, the capitalist can re-inject the profits
into production for even greater profits. According to Marx, this
was precisely the reason why the proletariat only received the bare
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minimum for survival, despite sophistication of industries and

maximization of productivity.
Unlike Ricardo and George, Marx claimed that those who
became wealthier were not landowners, but capitalists. In Marx’s
view, while capitalists were not idle, the returns of their own labor
and massive contributions from laborers allowed capitalists to
amass great wealth. He believed that within the capitalist system,
the capitalists’ authority and power became stronger and the pro-
letariat became disadvantaged as laborers worked harder. Marx
pointed to the capitalist system as the cause of poverty. Afterwards,
he called for abolition of capitalist systems through revolutions
led by unified laborers. The “Proletariat Revolution” allowed the
establishment of socialist policies that transformed capitalists’
production methods into society’s shared entities, thus solving the
problem of poverty.
Marxism quickly spread across Europe, and using Marx’s theo-
ries as his basis, Vladimir Lenin successfully established socialism
through the “October Revolution.” Beginning with Russia, count-
less countries fell like dominoes and embraced socialism. After
Marx’s death and within half a century, a sixth of the world’s coun-
tries became socialist nations.
“The twentieth century was an experimental time for ideolo-
gies of Marx.”
Just as the quote suggests, Marx’s theory had extraordinary
influence on the world. However, theories and the reality are vastly
different. In the end, almost all communist countries that embod-
ied socialism have collapsed and shifted to a system of capitalist
economy. Now, the people of North Korea and Cuba suffer from
extreme poverty.19
“What is the cause of poverty?”
This simply question piqued the interests of many people, and the
answers transformed societies. This question is still relevant today.
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Even now, the problem of poverty is still rampant across the world,
and Korea’s countless young adults and laborers still struggle with
poverty.
“What is the cause of poverty?”
We must continue to ask ourselves the question and seek
answers.
How Can We Share the Fruits of Science and Technology with

Others?
In one precious day of your life, about 4,000 people in the world
lose their lives due to AIDS.20 In addition, even a greater number
of people die due to hepatitis and malaria. Every year, more than
3 million people die due to these three diseases.21,22 Yet, modern
medicine has the capacity to prevent deaths of almost 6 million
people. However, modern medicine does not seem to have room for
saving these unfortunate people in its plans. The fruits of modern
medicine are distributed in unfair ways. Martin Luther King Jr. said:
“Amongst all inequalities, medical inequality is the most gro-
tesque and inhumane!”
Today, not only does inequality exist in income, but it also exists
in the field of health. Over 1 billion people of the world are not
reaping the benefits of modern medicine at all. This is the world
that we live in today.
Hailed as Schweitzer of the 21st century, Paul Farmer dedicated
his life to rectify medical inequalities prevalent in poor nations.
In 1982, Farmer attended a lecture called “Medical Anthropology”
during his undergraduate studies at Duke. While explaining about
Haiti and medical inequalities, the professor lectured that “Haiti’s
emergency rooms vary in experience based on uncontrollable fac-
tors like race, social status, and gender, while the order of treatment
changes regardless of patient’s urgency.” In addition, meetings with
Haitian immigrants at Duke University Hospital allowed Farmer to
realize the fact that Haitians suffer from poverty and political sup-
pression, while not having access to the most basic medical facilities.
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Afterwards, Farmer continued to take keen interest in Haiti

and participated in community service, leading him to rush to
Haiti after earning his medical and anthropology degrees from
Harvard University. Once he set up a free medical center in the
countryside of Haiti and eliminated financial obstacles, countless
Haitians flooded in. While treating these patients, Farmer met a
woman whose husband was dying after not breathing for a day.
Farmer visited the family’s dilapidated house an hour away, and
witnessed three children crying by their father’s deathbed. The
man’s lips were blue and he was not able to speak, with the man
seemingly in panic for a long time. His airways had petrified due to
asthma attacks. Farmer had no access to stethoscopes, chest x-rays,
or needles that were used to treat asthma during his medical resi-
dency. Luckily, Farmer carried his own inhaler with albuterol from
his own experience with asthma, and he used the inhaler repeat-
edly for his patient. Miraculously, the man’s nonexistent breathing
slowly became stronger, and in thirty minutes, he was breathing
normally and was able to speak. Farmer then had an epiphany after
the “inhaler incident.” He realized that the world is truly unfair,
and that countless people of the world were dying without receiving
medical benefits that can prevent and treat their illnesses.23
“Through what system and how can we share the fruits of modern
medicine with others?”
Farmer posed this question endlessly. Finally, in order to solve
this problem, Farmer founded a medical aid organization called
“Partners in Health, PIH” in 1987, along with medical volunteers
Ophelia Dal and Yong Kim, the current president of the World
Bank. The purpose of PIH was to treat the poor by giving them
access to new medical benefits, and also to newly transform the
world’s healthcare system in which all poor and sick people of the
world can fairly receive treatment.
PIH maximized the collaboration and resources of hospitals,
universities, medical foundations, and countless volunteers of the
United States and other developed countries. Currently, there are
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twelve modern hospitals in Haiti that treat patients and nurture

excellent doctors. Since 2000, PIH provided anti-retro virus treat-
ment for AIDS to thousands of children for free, and supported
education for 10,000 Haitian children.
On January 12, 2010, after the country’s water became infected
after the earthquake, over 10,000 children died from cholera.
In response, PIH established 11 cholera treatment facilities and
treated 15,000 cholera patients with 3,300 employees. In addition,
PIH conducted many medical activities in Haiti, such as treatments
for pregnant women, Ebola virus, cancer and chronic illnesses, and
establishment of public healthcare policies and system.
Now, PIH remains active in 20 countries with people who des-
perately need modern medicine, including Haiti, Somalia, Peru,
Mexico, Rwanda, Malawi, and Russia. Through these medical
endeavors, Farmer strives to emphasize the spirit of companionship
called “accompagnatuer.” In Haitian, it means “those who become
companions” and to be a companion means to “go wherever you
go to help and be rest my fate with you until you decide the end.”
Moving forward, Farmer and PIH will embody the spirit of com-
panionship and walk a path much longer and unpredictable.
Designated as the Kolokotrones University Professor, a title
reserved for the best professors of Harvard, Paul Farmer delivered
this message to promising medical students of the future.
“You must look at the bigger picture. You must deeply think
about why unfortunate people become ill at such a young age and
solutions to the phenomena, as well as comparing current solu-
tions to those of the past and deciding appropriate people to
carry out solutions. We must understand the lives of our patients
and societal background for contracting illnesses. The true role
of modern medicine is to connect advanced scientific technology
with genuine care, sympathy, and spiritual comfort for those who
need aid across the world.”24
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EPILOGUE
“Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s

change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.” –
Steve Jobs
I have experienced death. Of course, I do not mean my own
death. Nael, the child that would have been my first daughter,
died in my wife’s womb. This death gave me a gift. It was a gift of
‘despair’, ‘sadness’, ‘pessimism’, ‘loss’, ‘worthlessness’, and ‘indo-
lence’. It seemed that I would not escape the shock of this loss.
However, I could only hold back my tears and console my wife who
felt deeper pain.
Life for those who nearly faced death is a ‘gift’. These people do
not waste their lives, a gift that is only given once. While suffering
from long depression, I realized one thing that would end my sorrows.
“You only live once, and this life, too, will soon pass away!”
Life is ethereal, yet realizing that I have mistakenly thought life
to be eternal, I decided to truly live my life to the fullest. I believed
that this personal determination was Nael’s last gift to me before
her death. I decided to take action for my dreams that I previously
thought would eventually occur. The first dream was to publish
ideas in my head as a book.
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Isaac You
As a scientist, I have only conducted research and written the-

ses, but have never published a book. Even among family, friends,
colleagues, and mentors, there were none that had published
book. While my predilection for reading has led me to read over
3,000 books and 10,000 theses, publishing my own book seemed
an insurmountable goal.
Several years ago, I told my friends that “I will write a book!”
In response, the friends said “Go ahead, I doubt it will sell well” or
“Books are written by those who have experienced success.” These
comments discouraged my dreams to write a book.
However, after receiving Nael’s gift of realization and determi-
nation to live life to the fullest, I have transformed.
Throughout 2016, I diligently worked at the University of
Michigan during the day, and conserved the remainder of my time
to write “Question Intelligence.” The process of browsing through
countless theses and books to find data for “Question Intelligence”
proved to be a daunting task. Upon finding useful data, I felt as if I
had found a pearl that shone brighter than the stars. When writing
was slow and my confidence dwindled, I told myself:
“Isaac, you have read books written by others all this time, and
is there any reason that you also cannot write a book?”
“Why not? Why cannot it be you? You can do it!”
“Do not strive to be perfect from the beginning, but working
little by little will lead to completion of a wonderful book.”
Finally, after a year of dogged effort, I finished the draft of my
first book “Question Intelligence.” Completing the draft itself was a
monumental achievement for me. Yet, I also gained three important
accomplishments throughout this process.
First, I began to enjoy writing. I learned that grabbing a pen and
writing for a couple of hours on a desk was not a painful process, but
an enjoyable one that allowed me to freely express my imagination.
Second, I began to have faith that question intelligence is a very
critical ability for success. If the person who derived the concept
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does not have full confidence in the concept, how can the person
confidently explain it to others? With this thought in mind, I spoke
with numerous people, including professors, researchers, graduate
and undergraduate students, office workers, parents, and leaders
of charity organizations. Afterwards, I realized that successful peo-
ple with societal influence share the ability to ask sharp questions
that extract impactful thoughts. Therefore, I have 100 percent
faith that question intelligence is a necessary basis for abilities like
creativity, persuasiveness, determination, inquisitiveness, human
relationships, and innovation within individuals, families, societal
organizations, and even cultures of societies.
Third, I thought of topics for my future books in the next five
years. Just as one chord naturally elicits another chord when playing
the piano, I thought of fun ideas during the creative process of writ-
ing “Question Intelligence.” Therefore, I plan to write books for the
next five years. For example, one of ideas is that history of mankind
has always been accompanied by “note taking” recording thoughts
in the form of words or pictures. I plan to write an enjoyable book
that approaches “note taking” from perspectives of humanities-
society-science, while invoking actual applications and examples
On the other hand, there were some regrets as well. The biggest
regret was that I could not quantify the concept of “question intel-
ligence.” I held the assumption that the type of people’s questions
can also be categorized based on their personalities like MBTI or
DISC. The reason was that people’s way of asking questions natu-
rally reflects their way of thinking. I have personally researched
data on personality tests like MBTI and DISC, trying to integrate
them with question intelligence and create quantifiable, evaluative
prototype. However, the results were not satisfactory. Help from
other experts is critical. I wish to one day meet an excellent part-
ner to succeed in this initiative.
There are many people whom I would like to extend my appre-
ciation for publishing “Question Intelligence.” First, I want to thank
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my wife Grace, a lifetime friend who always provides comfort and

encouragement by my side, and to my first daughter Eleanor, who
brings smile to my face just with her mere existence. In addition,
I would also like to thank my parents whom I respect greatly, as
well as my parents in-law who are missionaries. I want to thank
my friends who provided great help during my stay in the United
States, engineers from the University of Michigan, people from
Grace Ann Arbor Church and Ann Arbor Korean church, and
those from my soccer club. Finally, I want to extend my gratitude
to those of Da Yeon Publishing Company in Korea who provided
great support for publishing my first book.
218
REFERENCES
Chapter 1
1. Frederic Golden, “Albert Einstein”, Time Dec. 31, 1999. http://
content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993017,00.
html
2. Albert Einstein, “Relativity: The Special and the General
Theory”, Methuen & Co Ltd, 1920.
3. Bernard Wood, “Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction”,
OUP Oxford, 2005
4. Barbara Warnick and Edward Inch. “Critical Thinking and
Communication (2nd Edition)”, New York: Macmillan, 1994
5. Guillem Balague, “Pep Guardiola: Another way of winning”,
Orion, 2016
6. AARON FLANAGAN, “Thierry Henry reveals Pep Guardiola’s
philosophy that could rule the Premier League”, Jan 5, 2016
7. R. Lynn and D. Longley, “On the high intelligence and cognitive
achievements of Jews in Britain.” Intelligence, 2006, 34, 541–547
8. Jon Entine, “Abraham’s Children: Race, Identity, and the
DNA of the Chosen People” Hachette Digital, 2007
9. Charles Murray, “Jewish Genius”, Commentary, April 1, 2007
10. Richard Lynn, “Race Differences in Intelligence: An Evolutionary
Analysis”, Washington Summit Publishers, 2006
219
Isaac You
11. Seongsu Jeon, Dongil Yang, “Jewish Havruta Economy Education”,

Maeil-Kyeongjae Times Publishing, 2014”
12. Sara Imas, “Particularly Cruel Love”, Yaedam Friends, 2014
13. M. K. Smith et al. “Why Peer Discussion Improves Student
Performance on In-Class Concept Questions”, Science 2009,
Vol 323, p122-124.
14. Alison King, “Effects of Self-Questioning Training on College
Students’ Comprehension of Lectures”, CONTEMPORARY
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 1989, 14, p366-381
15. Alison King, “Autonomy and Question Asking: The Role
of Personal Control in Guided Student-Generated Question”,
Learning and Individual Differences 1994, 6, p163-185
16. Linda Elder and Richard Paul, “The Role of Socratic Questioning
in Thinking, Teaching, and Learning”, The Clearing House
1998, 71, p297-301
17. EBS Docuprime, “Why we go to a university?” Jan 28, 2014
18. Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, “Make Just One Change:
Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions”, Harvard
Education Press, 2011
Figure 1-1: Albert Einstein during a lecture in Vienna in 1921

(https://commons.w ik imedia.org/w ik i/Categor y:A lbert _
Einstein#/media/File:Albert_Einstein_1921_by_F_Schmutzer.jpg)
Figure 1-2: Two young students practicing Havruta study method

(https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=havruta&
title=Special:Search&go=Go&uselang=en&searchToken=9njyygo
k61i1qevjn79jr7lpz#/media/File:Havruta.jpg)
Chapter 2
1. Austin Kleon, “Steal like an artist”, Workman Publishing, 2012
2. Larry Brook, “Story Engineering”, Writer’s Digest Books, 2011
220
3. Dan Brown, Da Vinci Code, Anchor, 2009

4. Seungjeongwon ilgi or Journal of the Royal Secretariat is a
daily record of Seungjeongwon, Royal Secretariat during the
Joseon Dynasty of Korea (1392 - 1910), which records the king’s
public life and his interactions with the bureaucracy on a daily
basis. It is the 303rd national treasure of Korea and designated
as one of the UNESCO’s Memory of the World.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seungjeongwon_ilgi)
5. Yamanaka Shinya, “Ganeungseong Balkyeon”, Haenamu, 2013
6. Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, “How Google Works”, Grand
Central Publishing, 2017
Figure 2-1: Dan Brown, a world-renowned bestselling author

(http://img.t hedailybea st.com/image/upload/c_crop,d _
placeholder_euli9k,h_1439,w_2560,x_0,y_0/c_limit,w_1480/
fl_lossy,q_auto/v1492784521/articles/2013/05/14/inferno-dan-s-
brown-s-best-book-yet/130513-jones-danbrown-tease_jkayhf)
Figure 2-2: The poster of “Gwanghae”

( h t t p s :// i m a g e - p r o x y. n a m u w i k i u s e r c o n t e n t . c o m /r/
http%3A%2F%2Fimg.movist.com%2F%3Fimg%3D%2Fx00%2F04
%2F40%2F40_p1.jpg)
Figure 2-3: Dr. Yamanaka Shinya, the 2012 Nobel Prize winner in
physiology or medicine
(http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/42-
40732368.jpg)
Figure 2-4: Sergey Brin and Larry Page, co-founders of Google

(http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/wp-AP_
080902061441.jpg)
221
Isaac You
Chapter 3
1. Simon Sinek, “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire
Everyone to Take Action”, Portfolio, 2011
2. Oren Klaff, “Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting,
Persuading, and Winning the Deal”, McGraw-Hill, 2011
3. Jody Hoffer Gittell, “The Southwest Airlines Way”, McGraw-
Hill Education, 2005
Figure 3-1: Steve Jobs presenting iPhone, 2007

(http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5412cb016da8112273
0793bb/steve-jobs-turned-out-to-be-completely-wrong-about-the-key-
reason-people-like-the-iphone.jpg)
Chapter 4
1. OECD Statistics. “Average annual hours actually worked per
worker” (http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?DataSetCode=
ANHRS)
2. Richard Koch, “Living the 80/20 Way: Work Less, Worry Less,
Succeed More, Enjoy More”, Nicholas Brealey, 2014
3. Eyal Ophir, Clifford Nass, and Anthony D. Wagner, “Cognitive
control in media multitaskers”, PNAS, 2009, 106, 15583–15587
4. Gary Keller, “The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth
Behind Extraordinary Results”, Bard Press, 2013
5. Charles Duhigg, “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do
in Life and Business”, Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2014
6. P. Lally, C. H. M. van Jaarsveld, H. W. W. Potts, and J. Wardle,
“How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the
real world”, 2010, 40, 998–1009
7. Rick Warren, “The Purpose Driven Life”, Zondervan, 2002
8. Ashlee Vance, “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a
Fantastic Future”, Ecco, 2015
9. Aldous Huxley, “Brave New World”, Harper Perennial, 2006
10. Stephen R. Covey, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:
Powerful Lessons in Personal Change”, Simon & Schuster, 2013
222
Chapter 5
1. Ben Mezrich, “The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of
Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal”, Anchor,
2010
2. National Geographic Channel, “American Genius (TV Mini-Series)”,
Jun 1, 2015
Figure 5-1: Yuna Kim at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e1/b0/0b/
e1b00b7f3c20b192d13811890a7e22d2.jpg)
Figure 5-2: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at D5: All Things Digital
conference
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steve_Jobs_and_Bill_
Gates_(522695099).jpg)
Chapter 6
1. Michael Scriven and Richard Paul, “Defiing Critical Thinking”, 2003
(http://www.criticalthinking.org/University/univclass/Defining.
html)
2. Diane F. Halpern, “Thought and Knowledge: An Introduction
to Critical Thinking” NJ: Erlbaum Associates. 1996
3. Richard Paul and Linda Elder, “Critical Thinking: Implications
for Instruction of the Stage Theory”, Journal of Developmental
Education, 1997, 20, p34
4. Joe Cuseo, “Questions that Promote Deeper Thinking”,
Oncoursenewsetter, (http://oncourseworkshop.com/life-long-
learning/questions-promote-deeper-thinking)
5. Benjamin, S. Bloom, “Taxonomy of Educational Objectives,
Handbook 1:The Cognitive Domain”, NY: David McKay Co.,
Inc., 1956
6. Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, “Make Just One Change: Teach
Students to Ask Their Own Questions”, Harvard Education
Press, 2011
223
Isaac You
Chapter 7
1. David D. Burns, “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy”,
Harper, 2008
Chapter 8
1. Carol Dweck, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”,
Ballantine Books, 2007
2. Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, “Bold: How to Go Big,
Create Wealth and Impact the World”, Simon & Schuster, 2016
Figure 8-1 Transistor count and Moore’s law over time

(https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=transistor
+count&title=Special:Search&go=Go&searchToken=6r7744jrdq2z
mqajqtw10tb4t)
Chapter 9
1. Katia Savchuk, “America’s Top 10 Givers Of 2014”, Forbes
OCT 1, 2015
2. Ken Blanchard, “The Heart of a Leader: Insights on the Art of
Influence”, David C. Cook, 2007
3. Manhak Jang, “Innovations of Telsla”, Hankuk Times, Jan 11, 2015
4. Edward M. Kerschner and Elitza Christoff, “Power Brands:
Winning the Global Battle for Consumers’ Spending”, Morgan
Stanley Smith Barney, 2012
5. Nick Farrar, “What brand success will do for you”, The Online
Recruitment Resource, Aug 22, 2013
6. Steve McKee, “Power Branding”, St. Martin’s Press, 2014, p2-10
7. Lone Frank, Mindfield: How Brain Science is Changing Our
World”, Oneworld Publications, 2009
8. Samuel M. McClure, Jian Li, Damon Tomlin, Kim S. Cypert,
Latané M. Montague, and P. Read Montague, “Neural
Correlates of Behavioral Preference for Culturally Familiar
Drinks”, Neuron 2004, 44, 379–387
224
9. Sally Satel, Scott O. Lilienfeld, “Brainwashed - The Seductive

Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience”, Basic Books, 2015
10. CoreBrand, “The CoreBrand Top BrandPower Rankings” 2012
12. Kathy Svitil, “Wine Study Shows Price Influences Perception,”
Caltech Media Relations, Jan. 14, 2008
13. Loyalty Program Can Do More” Warc, May 23, 2013
14. Steve McKee, “Power Branding”, St. Martin’s Press, 2014, p60-75.
15. Kevin Werbach and Dan Hunter, “For The Win”, Wharton
Digital Press, 2012, p40-83
17. Steve McKee, “Power Branding”, St. Martin’s Press, 2014,
p160-165.
Chapter 10
1. David Packard, “The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built
Our Company”, Harper Business, 1995
2. Elizabeth Gilbert, “Your elusive creative genius”, TED2009,
Feb 2009
3. Kuang Choi, “Success Secrets of Wikipedia”, Maeil Kyeongjae
Times, Nov 3, 2008,
4. Steven Johnson, “Where good ideas come from”, TEDGlobal
2910, July 2010
5. Linda Hill, How to manage for collective creativity, TED,
Mar 2015
6. Conan O’Brien, “2011 Dartmouth College Commencement
Address” Jun 12, 2011
7. Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica, “Creative Schools: The Grass-
roots Revolution That’s Transforming Education”, Viking, 2011
8. Eric Ries, “The Lean Startup”, Crown Publishing Group 2011,
Chapter 5
9. Eric Ries, “The Lean Startup”, Crown Publishing Group 2011,
Chapter 4
225
Isaac You
10. Nelson M. Fraiman, Jia Guo, and María J. Quinteros, “Research

that Matters: Case of IBM under the Leadership of Sam
Palmisano”, Columbia Business School, 2012, 1-3.
11. Robert Chapman Wood, “An inside view of IBM’s “Innovation
Jam”, MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW, Vol 50, Fall 2008
12. Mary Helander et al. “Looking for Great Ideas: Analyzing the
Innovation Jam”, Advances in Web Mining and Web Usage
Analysis, 2007, p21-39
13. Balder Onarheim, “3 tools to becoming more creative”,
TEDxCopenhagenSalon, Jan. 2015
14. GE Health Care, “From Terrifying to Terrific: The Creative
Journey of the Adventure Series”, Sep 20, 2012
15. Tom Wujec, “Build a tower, build a team”, TED, Apr. 2010
16. Tim Brown, “Tales of creativity and play”, TED, Nov. 2008
17. Jihoon Kim, “7 Secrets of Google’s Epic Organizational
Culture”, Officevibe, September 30, 2013
18. Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, “How Google Works”,
Grand Central Publishing, 2017
Figure 10-1: William Guier (Left), Frank McClure (Middle), and

George Weiffenbach (Right) in discussion
(http://gpsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/guier_
weiffenbach.jpg)
Figure 10-2: MRI Room at the University of California San Francisco

Benioff Children’s Hospital
(Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital)
http://archive.jsonline.com/Services/image.ashx?domain=www.
jsonline.com&f ile=b9 96 47870z.1_ 2016 0121234932 _ 0 0 0 _
guse5m8c.1-0.jpg&resize=660*488)
Chapter 11
1. Gene Weingarten, “Setting the record straight on the Joshua
Bell experiment”, The Washington Post, Oct. 15, 2014
226
2. Eduardo Porter, “A Simple Equation: More Education = More

Income”, New York Times, Sep. 10, 2014
3. Yong Bum Park, “Daehaksang Siljae Jeongongkua Heamang
Jeongong gan Bulilchi”, KRIVET Issue Brief, Jul 30, 2013
4. Chris Thurman, “The Lies We Believe”, Thomas Nelson, 2003
5. Paul J. Meyer, “Unlocking Your Legacy: 25 Keys for Success”,
Moody Pub, 2002
6. Thomas C. Reeves, “Presidential IQ”. History News Network.
November 5, 2006
7. jfklibrary.org, “Life of John F. Kennedy” (www.jfklibrary.org/
JFK/Life-of-John-F-Kennedy.aspx)
8. Yeong Woo Kang, “There is no mountain we cannot climb”,
Saemyeongeui Malseumsa, 2000
9. Jack Welch and Suzy Welch “Winning: The Ultimate Business
How-To Book”, HarperCollins, 2006
10. Julie Lythcott-Haims, “How to Raise an Adult”, Henry Holt
and Co., 2016
11. Carmen Nobel, “Children Benefit From Having a Working
Mom” Harvard Business School News, May 15, 2015
12. Minhee Kang, “Who? Winston Churchill”, Dasan Children
Publishing, 2013
13. Hyochan Choi, “Reading Education in successful families”,
Bada Publishing, 2015
14. Andrew Merle, “The Reading Habits of Ultra-Successful People”,
The Huffington Post April 14, 2016
15. Seongsu Jeon, Dongil Yang, “Study through asking questions:
Havruta”, Lyonbook Publishing, 2014
16. Melanie Greenberg Ph.D., “Worst Mistakes Parents Make When
Talking to Kids”, The Mindful Self-Express, Sep 18, 2012
17. Yeong Woo Kang, “There is no mountain we cannot climb”,
Saemyeongeui Malseumsa, 2000
18. Yeong Woo Kang, “Find Success within Youself”, Saengmyeongeui
Malseumsa, 2002
227
Isaac You
19. Foster Cline, Jim Fay, “Parenting With Love And Logic”, NavPress
Publishing, 2006
20. M. Stafford, D. L. Kuh, C. R. Gale, G. Mishra, & M. Richards,
“Parent-child relationships and offspring’s positive mental well-
being from adolescence to early older age”. JOURNAL OF
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, 2015, 11, 326-337
21. Dakahata Yuki “French Mother’s Happy Life”, Entry Publishing,
2015
22. Anne Bacus, “Anne Bacus’ French Mom Class”, Booklog
Company Publishing, 2014
23. Pamela Druckerman, “French Parents Don’t Give In: 100 par-
enting tips from Paris”, Transworld Digital, 2013
Chapter 12
1. Byeong Hea Jang, “Mom’s best effort for helping successful
children”, Landom House Publishing, 2003
2. Dongil Yang, “Special Child Education through Jewish
Havruta”, Maekyung Publishing, 2014
3. David K. William, “15 Questions To Ask Your Kids To Help
Them Have Good Mindsets”, Lifehack, Apr 3, 2015
4. Susan Cain, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That
Can’t Stop Talking”, Crown Publishing Group, 2013
5. Kyung Jik Shin, “A Praise Changes Your Child’s Life”,
Saengmyeongeui Malseumsa, 2008
6. Kibok Lee, “Biblical Parenting School”, Duranno Publishing,
2005
7. Maryann Rosenthal, “Be a Parent, Not a Pushover: A Guide to
Raising Happy, Emotionally Healthy Teens”, Thomas Nelson,
2006
8. E. Ginzberg, S. W. Ginsburg, S. Axelrad, and J. L. Herma.
“Occupational choice: An approach to a general theory” New
York, New York: Columbia University Press, 1951
228
9. E. Ginzberg. “Career choice and development” San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass, 1984
10. Ken Canfield, “The Heart of a Father”, Northfield, 1996
Chapter 13
1. Horst Fuhrmann, “Analysis and Critics on Die Papste: von
Petrus zu Benedikt”, Gil Publishing, 2013
2. Taeja Yang, “The Fiction and Truth of Witch-Hunt in the
Middle Age”, Irang Publishing, 2015
3. Kildam Seowon, “Power to Change the World”, Kungri
Publishing, 2016, p63-66
4. Sangdeok Lee, “The Religious Revolutions”, Salim Publishing,
2006
5. Diarmaid MacCulloch, “The Reformation”, Penguin Books,
2005
6. Byeong Yeok Jeon, “What was the Yushin Constitution?”,
Kyeonghyang Times, Aug 31, 2012
7. Jaewon Kwon, “Questions that changed the world”, Darun
Publishing, 2015
8. Inbo Sim, “An interview with Jinhyeong Ju: Influences of Jaebeol”,
Newstapa, Dec 7, 2016
10. Democratic Legal Studies Association, “The 21st Century’s
Law and Democracy”, Gwanaksa Publishing, 2000
11. Yeonhap News, “The History of Women’s Suffrage”, Dec 12, 2015
Publishing, 2016, p49
13. VOA Korea, “Slavery in the United States”, April 26, 2005
14. Minah Kim, “1865 Slave Emancipation”, Kyeonghyang Times,
Dec 17, 2008
15. Kyeongnae Bae, “The current states of students’ human
rights”, Sep 29, 2006
229
Isaac You

Publishing, 2015, p119-125.
20. Yeonhap News, “The UN report on the AIDS infection rate in
2014”, Jul 14, 2015
21. Yeonhap News, “The WHO report on the death rate by
Tuberculosis in North Korea in 2015, Oct 14, 2016
22. Yeonhap News, “The WHO report on the death rate by
Malaria in the world”, Apr 23, 2015
23. Tracy Kidder, “Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of
Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World”, Random
House Reader’s Circle, 2009, p88-92
24. Tracy Kidder, “Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of
Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World”, Random
House Reader’s Circle, 2009, p120-160
Figure 13-1: Portrait of Martin Luther, 1529

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/
a0/1529MartinLuther.jpg/640px-1529MartinLuther.jpg)
Figure 13-2: 2016–17 South Korean protests, “Candlelight Struggle”

for President Park’s impeachment
( h t t p s :// i m a g e - p r o x y. n a m u w i k i u s e r c o n t e n t . c o m /r/
http%3A%2F%2Fimg.theqoo.net%2Fimg%2Fzlhxe.jpg)
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The questions to maximize your potential and accelerate your innovation

ISBN 13: 9781983298660

Isaac You is a bestselling author who stirred a rave for questioning

“What legacy will I leave to the next generation?”

He asks himself this question continuously, and he considers liv-

PART ONE Successful People and Question

PART TWO Successful Organizations and

PART THREE Successful Families and Question

PART FOUR Successful Societies and Question

A Nobel prize winner in the field of physics, American physi-

to, while guiding us to think about the answers to these ques-

question intelligence through this book. Then, we will soon pos-

IMPROVE YOUR QUESTION INTELLIGENCE

U .S. editorial magazine “Times” selected Albert Einstein as the

• What would we see if we traveled at the speed of light?

Einstein spent his entire life seeking answers to such questions,

Albert Einstein during a lecture in Vienna in 1921

Mankind’s Power of Thinking and Question Intelligence

Australopithecus → Homo habilis → Homo erectus →

However, what is the key factor that ultimately contributed to the

“When we lose possession, should all players try to aggressively

The Secret to the Success of the Jewish People,

Jewish mothers firmly believe that questions amplify a child’s

Two young students practicing Havruta study method

As evidenced, in the center of Jewish education lies questions.

The Impact of Questions on Way of Thinking

was 90%, a high number. Conversely, the percentage of students

To explain her results, King claimed that because questioning

Society’s Negligence on Teaching to Question

The problems surrounding the lack of teaching to question

For the Socrates of the 21st Century, Improve Your Question

I must emphasize once more. We must learn how to ask ques-

“WHAT IF,” THE QUESTION THAT

A s the world shifted from modernism of the 1980’s to the post-

A classic example of the “what if” question within novels is Dan

“The Da Vinci Code” and the “What If” Question

• What if Christ did not die on the cross?

• What if the protagonist’s friend seems to offer a helping

As can be seen, Brown intertwines these budding “what if” ques-

Dan Brown, a world-renowned bestselling author

“What If” Questions as Movie Motifs

Examining era-defining Korean films that attracted over ten mil-

• What if the king fell ill due to poison?

The poster of “Gwanghae”

Science and “what if” questions

• What if motions of all objects occurs due to forces acting

In his autobiography “The Discovery of Possibilities,” Dr. Yamanaka

• What if the reason for differentiation capability of the thy-

After diligently researching this new idea, Dr. Yamanaka’s research

“What does it mean to study science?”

Karl Popper once posed this question. According to him, science is to

and experiential evidence. The assumption in question is closely

How did Larry Page Think of Google?

department, he never once thought about creating an Internet

Sergey Brin and Larry Page, co-founders of Google

“What If” Questions and Creative Problem Solving

the “what if –” question. The “what if –”question is fundamentally

• What if there were no blades in a fan?

Finally, lateral thinking is simply a method of thinking in which our

More commonly, “stepping inside someone else’s shoes” is an

The “what if” question that corresponds to lateral thinking is the

• A rocket’s expensive fuel tank was always disposed of after

PART ONE Successful People and Question

PART TWO Successful Organizations and

PART THREE Successful Families and Question

PART FOUR Successful Societies and Question