First…
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge.
…(And allegedly mentioned by Hunter S. Thompson as having appeared in a McDonalds, and found in various other places on the internet.) I like the quote – it’s very Korean, though. And for someone like me, who lacks the quality in question – persistence – it’s a bit depressing.
Secondly, and in utter contradiction to the first…
This is more in line with my character. And if the first is Korean-sounding, the latter matches up quite well with Korean behavior. Perhaps this isn’t coincidence?
Unrelatedly, a conversation with a Korean friend:
“You don’t like to sing?” he said.
“You don’t like to dance?” he continued.
“You don’t like to drink? What do you like, then?”
“If I liked to drink,” I answered, carefully, “the other things would follow.”
“Yes. That is the key.”
[Daily log: walking, 4 km; running, 2 km]