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| Nunchi | |
| Hangul | 눈치 |
|---|---|
| RR | nunchi |
| MR | nunch'i |
Nunchi, sometimesnoonchi (눈치), is aKorean concept signifying the subtle art and ability to listen and gauge others' moods. It first appears in the 17th century asnunch'ŭi (眼勢 inhanja), meaning "eye force/power".[1] In Western culture,nunchi could be described as the concept ofemotional intelligence. It is of central importance to the dynamics ofinterpersonal relationships.[citation needed]Nunchi is literally translated as "eye-measure".[2]Nunchi is closely related to the broader concept ofparalanguage but also relies on an understanding of one's status relative to the person with whom they are interacting. It can be seen as the embodiment of skills necessary to communicate effectively inhigh context culture.
The concept ofnunchi can be difficult to grasp for non-Koreans because there is no direct translation into English.[3] One's abundance ofnunchi, or lack thereof, forms the basis of many common expressions and idioms. For example, a socially clumsy person can be described asnunchi eoptta (눈치 없다), meaning "absence ofnunchi". Writing in theKorea Times, scholar and cultural critic David Tizzard describes the importance ofnunchi in Korean life by contrasting it toBritish culture: "I was raised to stand up straight, look people in the eye, and speak briskly and directly. While that certainly works for the public schools and rugby clubs of England, it’s all a bit different here. You’re meant to listen. To look down. To be slow. And once you get your nunchi sorted, everything else just kind of drops into place. It’s like the whole of society changes and the cold stares suddenly become warm smiles."[4]
Nunchi is briefly defined as the high social sensitivity of Koreans that basically means they are able to ascertain others' moods by being around them and talking to them. They are sensitive to what others say indirectly, because they want to maintain harmony. They sense someone'skibun, a Korean word that relates to mood, current feelings, and the state of mind. Facilitatingnunchi, encouraging the use of this skill, is expected to result in rich understanding. It is of central importance to the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Withnunchi, Koreans are using nonverbal cues to convey emotion and meaning through various means, including voice pitch and volume as well asintonation. Because Korea, as with other high-context cultures, caters toward in-groups that have similar experiences and expectations and from which inferences are drawn, many things are left unsaid. The culture does the explaining, in effect. Bothkibun andnunchi are very difficult concepts for non-Koreans to get the hang of.[opinion]
In Korea, personal relations frequently take precedence over business, which can ultimately help get a new job or help make you earn new friends.[3] In order to be successful, it is vital to establish good, personal relationships based on mutual trust and benefit. Koreans judge this bynunchi to get a basic understanding of the individual they just met. Korean business culture is firmly grounded in respectful rapport and in order to establish this, it is essential to have the right introduction to approach the company. Koreans will usenunchi to make sure the right approach is being used, often through a mutual friend or acquaintance at the appropriate level. Koreans spend a significant amount of time developing and fostering personal contacts. Therefore, time should be allocated for this process, particularly during the first meeting, which is frequently used to simply establish rapport and build trust.
The phrasenunchi itda (눈치 있다) refers to someone who is quick-witted, can understand the situation quickly, or has common sense. Another way to say this isnunchi ppareuda (눈치 빠르다), "to have quicknunchi".