What Does It Mean to Be a Good Person? The Truth About People-Pleasing

What does it mean to be a good person?

Finding a truly good person in this world is not as easy as it seems. Perhaps the reason lies in the way we define goodness. Often, the people we consider good are those who follow others’ instructions, agree with their opinions, and rarely question what they say. This is the personality we get to see in front of everyone.

But are they really the same when they are alone? Or is their behaviour simply a response to the expectations we have placed upon them?

I think we are all searching for someone whose personality we can admire, someone we can consider our ideal and whose words we can follow. We want someone to believe in, someone to look up to, and sometimes, someone whose thoughts we begin to shape our own lives around.

But for how long can we continue doing this?

The moment that person says something that does not align with our beliefs or expectations, we begin to find flaws in them. The very person we once admired suddenly seems less worthy of our respect.

Is this really what we expect from a good personality?

No one in this world is perfect. Every one of us has flaws. We make mistakes, hold different opinions, and see life through our own perspectives. Yet, sometimes, we look at someone and think, This person is perfect.

But have we ever stopped to ask ourselves what it truly means to be a good person?

Is a good person someone who listens to everyone without expressing disagreement? Someone who accepts everything without asking questions? Someone who chooses to remain silent simply to avoid conflict, even when the other person is clearly wrong?

This is what we have often been taught about goodness. A good person is expected to sacrifice their desires, give up their dreams, and continue living without questioning others. They are expected to adjust, compromise, and keep everyone else comfortable, even when doing so comes at the cost of their own happiness.

But is that really the truth?

I believe that if a person cannot stand up for themselves or even listen to their own inner voice, we need to question whether our understanding of a good personality is complete.

Sometimes, our circumstances force us to bend. Life does not always give us the freedom to make the choices we want. There may be moments when we have to put our dreams aside or make difficult compromises.

But should we always use our circumstances as a reason to remain silent? Should we continue believing that sacrificing ourselves is what makes us good?

I don’t think so.

Standing up for ourselves does not make us bad people, just as agreeing with everyone does not automatically make us good ones.

Think about it. When we give someone so much importance that we begin to forget our own self-respect, what are we really doing?

We may convince ourselves that one day they will understand our feelings. Perhaps they will recognise our sacrifices, understand our silence, and finally realise how much we have overlooked for their sake.

But what happens when they still fail to understand?

Should we continue to disregard our self-respect, hoping that one day the other person will change?

The person we often forget to understand is none other than ourselves.

We try to understand the people closest to us. We care about their happiness, their opinions, and their reactions. Yet, when it comes to our own feelings, we sometimes choose to remain silent.

We become so concerned about disappointing others that we forget to ask ourselves whether we are disappointing the person we should understand the most: ourselves.

And if we cannot understand our own feelings, recognise our own worth, or stand up for ourselves when necessary, how can we expect to stand up for others?

Being a good person should not mean that we must always put ourselves last. We can care for others without neglecting ourselves. We can respect someone without agreeing with everything they say. We can love someone without accepting every action of theirs.

And we can disagree with someone without becoming their enemy.

Perhaps we need to understand that kindness and self-respect are not opposites. We do not have to lose one to practise the other.

I believe we should never leave the definition of our goodness entirely in someone else’s hands. If we pretend to be good simply to appear good in another person’s eyes, we may end up being unfair not only to ourselves but also to that person.

After all, if our behaviour is guided only by the desire to gain someone’s approval, how can we know whether we are acting according to our own values or merely performing the role that someone else expects us to play?

We need to understand ourselves, too. We need to question our actions, examine our intentions, and learn to recognise the difference between right and wrong.

This does not mean that we are always right or that our own beliefs should never be questioned. We are human beings, and we all make mistakes. Being a good person also means having the courage to acknowledge those mistakes, accept responsibility for our actions, and learn from them.

But acknowledging our mistakes is different from blindly accepting everyone else’s opinions. And being willing to change is different from changing ourselves every time someone disapproves of us.

Perhaps the real question is not whether everyone considers us a good person, but whether we are willing to understand what goodness actually means to us.

Can we be kind without pretending? Can we respect others without losing our self-respect? Can we accept that someone may disagree with us without immediately considering them a bad person?

And, most importantly, can we remain honest with ourselves, even when that honesty requires us to question the beliefs we have held for years?

Perhaps being a good person does not mean that we must always look good in the eyes of the world. Perhaps it means having the courage to understand ourselves, recognise our flaws, accept our mistakes, and stand up for what we believe is right.

Because being seen as a good person and genuinely trying to be one are not always the same thing.

And maybe, before we begin searching for goodness in someone else, we should first ask ourselves:

Are we truly trying to be good people, or are we simply trying to become the people everyone else wants us to be?

Finding Peace Through Music 🎧

How do you manage stress?

When life feels overwhelming, I often turn to music. Sometimes, a melody can express what words cannot. Instrumental music helps me slow down, listen to my inner thoughts, and reconnect with myself. Perhaps managing stress is not always about finding answers, but sometimes about giving ourselves a quiet moment to feel, reflect, and simply be. I explore this beautiful connection between music, emotions, and self-discovery in my article, Music Beyond Words.

Sometimes, music expresses the feelings that words cannot. Let’s explore how music connects us not only with others but also with our own inner selves.
Read my latest article on Ashini:
Music Beyond Words
https://ashini.blog/2026/10/19/965/⁠�

Music Beyond Words

Is Music Just Something We Listen To, or a Way to Understand Ourselves?

Have you ever listened to a melody and felt that it touched something within you that you could never quite express in words? Is music merely a form of entertainment, or can it also help us understand our emotions, connect with the feelings of others, and discover something about ourselves?

Recently, I found myself thinking about these questions after looking at a painting created by my 15-year-old niece. The painting featured a heart, headphones, and a cassette player. At first glance, it appeared to be a simple artwork about music. But as I continued looking at it, a different thought began to take shape in my mind, leaving a lasting impression on me.

I started thinking about how much we carry within ourselves—thoughts we never share, emotions we struggle to explain, and feelings for which we cannot always find the right words. Sometimes, we do not know how to express what we feel. At other times, we may want to speak but find ourselves unable to communicate what is happening inside us.

But does that mean our emotions have no other way to find expression?

Perhaps not.

We have more than words through which we can express ourselves. Some people communicate through writing, others through paintings, and some find a way to express their feelings through music.

And perhaps this is where music becomes more than something we simply listen to.

Music: A Medium for Expressing Emotions

For me, music is a beautiful way to connect with others. Through it, we can explore different cultures, life experiences, and human emotions.

People living in different parts of the world may speak different languages, follow different traditions, and have different ways of living. Yet music can bring us closer to their worlds and encourage us to understand their experiences.

When we listen to traditional music from another culture, we may become curious about its history, lifestyle, and the people who have kept its traditions alive. A folk song can offer us a glimpse into a community’s happiness, struggles, and way of looking at life.

Music gives us an opportunity to step beyond our own world and explore the worlds of others.

But for me, music is not only about understanding other people. It also has a connection with understanding ourselves.

I prefer instrumental music to songs with lyrics. There are only a few songs whose lyrics I particularly enjoy, but I find myself drawn to melodies played on different musical instruments.

I believe we do not always need words to experience music. Sometimes, a melody alone can bring us peace, take us back to old memories, or awaken thoughts we had not fully understood before.

Interestingly, our choice of music is often connected to our mood. Depending on how we feel at a particular moment, we may find ourselves drawn to a particular kind of melody.

But have we ever stopped to wonder why we want to listen to a certain kind of music at a particular time?

Do we listen only for entertainment, or do we sometimes turn to music because we are trying to understand the emotions moving within us?

Perhaps the answer is different for every individual.

When Music Becomes Our Companion in the Uncertainty of Life

Life never remains still. Time continues to move forward, and our circumstances, responsibilities, and experiences change along with it.

We often find ourselves thinking about tomorrow. Sometimes, worries about the future occupy our minds, while at other times, memories of the past refuse to leave us alone. We keep trying to improve our lives, yet somewhere along the way, we forget to experience the little moments that make up the present.

We do not know what the next moment will bring. Still, we continue moving forward with our hopes, worries, and plans.

In such moments, music can become a way to step away from the constant movement of our thoughts, even if only for a little while.

Sometimes, a melody encourages us to sit quietly, while at other times, music fills us with renewed energy. We may lose ourselves in our thoughts as we listen, or simply feel a little lighter without knowing exactly why.

Music cannot solve all our problems, but it can give us an opportunity to sit with our experiences and recognise what we are feeling.

And perhaps, sometimes, that is exactly what we need.

We cannot always remain strong, know the answers to every question, or find immediate solutions to every problem. But we can make time to understand the emotions we carry within ourselves.

Perhaps music reminds us that, amid the constant demands of life, making a little time for ourselves matters too.

The Place of Music in the Lives of Our Ancestors

When we look back at the past, we find that music was never limited to entertainment alone. It was also an important part of our ancestors’ lives, traditions, and ways of expressing emotions.

In the region I come from, music has many forms rooted in local traditions. During celebrations, people traditionally sang folk songs such as Phag and Rasiya. These songs reflected the joy, enthusiasm, and collective spirit of such occasions.

There were also Harbole songs associated with the labour and lives of farmers. Through these songs, people connected their work with music and shared experiences. Singing while working in the fields could offer a way to express emotions, maintain enthusiasm during demanding tasks, and feel connected to others.

Similarly, Sohar is a traditional folk-song form sung to celebrate the birth of a child. These songs carry family emotions, blessings, and glimpses of cultural traditions.

When I think about these folk traditions, I realise how deeply our ancestors connected music with different moments in life. Whether it was a celebration, a festival, or collective labour, music had a place in their everyday experiences.

This makes me wonder: when our ancestors did not have the many forms of entertainment available to us today, wasn’t music an important source of joy, encouragement during hard work, and connection with one another?

I believe the beauty of these folk songs lies not only in their melodies but also in the experiences they preserve. Through them, we can explore the lives of our ancestors, their happiness, their traditions, and their relationships with the communities around them.

Our lifestyles have changed over time. Today, we have countless modern ways to listen to music, but the significance of traditional songs reminds us that music has always been connected to our social and cultural lives, not merely to entertainment.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful things about music is that it helps us carry moments of our lives forward, preserving them through emotions, memories, and traditions.

Music and Our Relationship with Memories

Have you ever heard an old melody and suddenly remembered a moment from your life that you thought you had almost forgotten?

Perhaps it was a childhood day, an occasion spent with your family, an experience from a journey, or the memory of someone who once played an important role in your life.

Sometimes, music takes us back to moments that time has nearly erased from our conscious minds.

We hear the same melody, but suddenly, an entire world of memories begins to unfold within us. Sometimes, we smile as we remember those moments. At other times, an old memory leaves us feeling emotional.

Music cannot bring the past back, but it can give us an opportunity to experience the emotions associated with it once again.

Perhaps this is why the importance of a melody cannot always be measured by its popularity or beauty. Sometimes, an ordinary tune becomes special to us because it is connected to an experience from our lives.

A piece of music that means nothing more than a pleasant melody to one person may represent a memory, a relationship, or an important chapter of life to someone else.

This reminds me of something else: we do not all experience the same things in the same way.

We carry our memories, emotions, and experiences with us. These shape the meanings we attach to the world around us.

Therefore, understanding what music means to someone involves more than simply knowing their preferences. Sometimes, it also means understanding the memories and experiences connected to those preferences.

Perhaps this is where understanding other people begins—with an interest in the stories behind their choices rather than simply comparing those choices with our own.

From Music to the Journey of Self-Discovery

When I looked at my niece’s painting, my thoughts began with music. Gradually, however, they moved beyond music and led me towards questions about human emotions and self-discovery.

I started wondering how many things we do in our lives actually give us an opportunity to understand ourselves.

We talk to others, listen to their stories, fulfil our responsibilities, and keep moving forward. But do we always make time to understand the thoughts and emotions that arise within us?

Sometimes, we take our emotions for granted and never stop to examine them. At other times, expressing them feels difficult, or we cannot fully understand what we are experiencing ourselves.

In such moments, music, writing, and art can offer us an opportunity to look within.

When we listen to a melody and allow our thoughts to wander, we may become aware of something within ourselves that we had not paid attention to before.

When we write, putting our thoughts into words can sometimes help us understand them more clearly. Similarly, when we create a painting, our imagination and emotions can take a form that we might struggle to communicate through ordinary conversation.

Of course, everyone’s experience is different. Not every melody brings us closer to ourselves, and not every piece of art needs to contain a profound message.

But when a piece of music, a written passage, or a painting encourages us to pay attention to our inner thoughts, it becomes more than just an experience. It can become a small part of our journey towards understanding ourselves.

Perhaps self-discovery does not always begin with finding answers to life’s biggest questions. Sometimes, it begins with understanding the little things that make us happy, move us emotionally, or encourage us to think differently.

And music can be one of the paths through which we begin that journey.

In the End, Perhaps There Is a Question We Should Ask Ourselves

My niece’s painting made me realise that not everyone sees the same meaning in a piece of art. The imagination of the person who creates it has its own significance, while the experiences of the person who views it bring another dimension to its meaning.

Music, too, can hold different meanings for different people. For some, it is a source of happiness. For others, it brings back memories, connects them with their culture, or gives them a few moments of solitude.

Yet, among all these meanings, I believe music offers another beautiful possibility: it can encourage us to look within ourselves while also helping us become more open to the worlds of others.

Perhaps we should not try to understand people only through the words they speak. We can also remain curious about their creativity, their preferences, and the things they value in their lives.

Sometimes, understanding another person’s world does not require us to change them or find answers on their behalf. It simply requires us to listen, learn about their experiences, and make room for their perspectives.

Perhaps we need to remember the same thing when it comes to ourselves.

We often become so busy trying to understand the world outside us that we forget to explore the world within. Yet, both understanding ourselves and making an effort to understand others can offer us a different perspective on life.

So, the next time you listen to music, look at someone’s painting, or read something they have written, ask yourself one question:

Are we simply listening to music, looking at art, and reading words—or are we also trying to understand the person who has left a part of their emotions, experiences, and inner world within them, a world in which, sometimes, we might even discover something about ourselves?

The Value of Time: Are We Forgetting How to Live?

What’s one thing you know now that would have saved your younger self a lot of pain?

Time: The Most Precious Part of Our Lives

Time is a word that holds the world of each one of us within it. Our perspective on life, what we do, how we do it, and how much time we give to different things—all of these are connected to time.

Throughout my years of experience, one of the most important things I have come to understand is the value of time.

Time is not merely the movement of the hands of a clock or the changing pages of a calendar. It is the part of our lives in which we gather experiences, build relationships, feel happiness, and create memories that eventually become a part of who we are.

But the question is, do we truly understand the value of time? Do we realise that the moments we consider ordinary today may one day become some of the most beautiful memories of our lives?

Perhaps we do not always recognise their importance while we are living them.

Why Do We Understand the Value of Time Only After It Has Passed?

When I look back on my life, I realise that there are certain things I could not understand earlier.

I wish I had realised sooner how quickly time would pass. I wish I had known that some moments of life would never return in quite the same way.

If I had understood this back then, perhaps I would have spent a little more time enjoying my childhood with my friends. I would have given my family more of my time. I would have spent a few more moments looking at someone special to me. I would have appreciated the little joys that were once such an ordinary part of my life.

Perhaps I would have lived each moment with a little more happiness, taken more peaceful moments to connect with myself, and given greater importance to the time I spent with the people around me.

But when we are living those moments, we do not always realise their true worth.

We assume that life will continue in the same way. We believe there will be more time to spend with friends, more opportunities to sit with our families, and more moments to share with the people we love.

But time passes.

Later, when we look back on those days, we begin to understand how beautiful a part of our lives they truly were.

Sometimes, what hurts us most is not simply that time has passed, but that we could not fully appreciate the time when it was still ours to live.

Is Our Busy Lifestyle Taking Us Away from the Present?

Today, we have become so occupied with our lives that sometimes we hardly notice how January turns into December or how morning quietly gives way to evening.

It has become a bitter reality of our lives that we are so busy with our responsibilities that we no longer seem to have enough time to give time itself the attention it deserves.

Being distant from time does not mean that a physical distance has grown between time and us. Time is always moving forward with us. Rather, it means that we have become so occupied with our lives that we barely get a chance to notice how quickly time is passing.

Our days are filled with work, responsibilities, future plans, and countless things we want to accomplish.

Amid all this, we keep moving forward. Yet, in this constant rush, we sometimes forget to look at what we already have in the present and how we are choosing to live it.

We keep trying to make our lives better, but are we also making time to experience the lives we are trying so hard to improve?

Do we sit with our loved ones and talk to them without constantly worrying about something else? Do we allow ourselves to experience the little joys around us without being in a hurry? Do we ever find enough peace to listen to our own thoughts?

Or do we spend each day completing one task after another, only to watch one day turn into the next?

Science and Modern Life: Where Are We Heading in Our Efforts to Save Time?

We have made remarkable progress in science. New discoveries and technologies have made many aspects of our lives easier. Today, we have countless tools that help us complete tasks in less time than before.

We thought that if we invented something new or improved the way we worked, we would have a little more time for ourselves.

We adopted new technologies to save time, changed the ways we worked, and tried to make our lives more convenient.

But have we ever stopped to ask ourselves what we actually do with the time we save?

Sometimes, we finish one task more quickly, but instead of using the time we have saved to find a little peace for ourselves, we immediately begin another task.

And when that task is finished, another one is already waiting for us.

Gradually, we find ourselves aboard a train that never seems to slow down.

We keep moving forward, but we rarely stop to think about where we are going or what we are leaving behind along the way.

We have learned how to complete our tasks faster, but have we also learned how to live our lives peacefully?

I often wonder whether our modern lifestyles have become so demanding that, despite having tools that save us time, we still struggle to make time for the moments that truly matter.

When We No Longer Have Time for Our Loved Ones

Today, we have reached a point where, even before thinking about spending time with family, friends, and relatives, we sometimes struggle to find time for ourselves.

We become so caught up in our daily responsibilities that we rarely get the opportunity to sit with ourselves and have an honest conversation with our own minds.

What are we feeling? What is going on inside us? What do we truly want? In which direction is our life heading?

These questions also require time.

But when almost every moment of our day is occupied by one task or another, we begin to lose opportunities to connect with our inner world.

We think about our future, try to fulfil our responsibilities, and work towards achieving something in life. All these things are important.

But is life made up of these things alone?

Is sitting with our family, laughing with our friends, spending a few moments beside someone we love, and understanding our own feelings not a part of life too?

If we cannot find time for these things, perhaps we need to pause for a moment and ask ourselves where our constant busyness is taking us.

If Only I Could Live Those Moments a Little Longer

When I think about the time that has passed, I feel a quiet ache inside me.

If only I could have lived those moments a little longer. If only I could have enjoyed my childhood with my friends for a little more time. I wish I had spent more time with my family, looked at someone special to me for a few moments longer, and felt the warmth of those moments more deeply.

I wish I had understood earlier that life does not always remain the same and that many things change as time moves forward.

Perhaps then I would have given greater importance to the little joys of life. I would have experienced each moment without so much hurry and treasured the time spent with the people around me a little more.

Now, when I remember those moments, I realise that they were not merely ordinary days. They were beautiful parts of my life that I still carry within me.

Those moments cannot be lived again in exactly the same way, but the memories they left behind are still a part of me.

Perhaps this is what inspires me to think more deeply about time.

We often understand the value of a moment only after it has moved out of our present and become a part of our past.

And then we find ourselves wishing that we had given it a little more time, felt a little more warmth, and lived it a little more fully.

Are We Truly Living While Time Moves Forward?

Time is constantly moving forward in our lives. We cannot stop it, nor can we bring back the moments that have passed and experience them in exactly the same way again.

But perhaps we can learn to understand how we want to live the time we have.

Working, fulfilling our responsibilities, planning for the future, and trying to achieve something in life are all important. But making room for the little moments of our lives is equally important.

Because life is not only about the things we want to achieve. It is also made up of the moments we spend with our loved ones, the happiness we allow ourselves to feel, and the experiences that help us understand the meaning of our lives.

Perhaps we do not need to slow down every day, but we should occasionally pause and look at how we are living.

Are we giving enough time to the people we love? Are we noticing the happiness that already exists around us? Are we making a little time to connect with ourselves?

Because the moment we consider ordinary today may one day become one of our most beautiful memories.

And perhaps, when that day comes, we too will find ourselves wishing that we had lived that moment a little longer.

So, the question is not only how much time we have, but also how we are choosing to live the time that is already ours.

Countries I Want to Visit: Exploring Cultures, People, and New Perspectives

What’s a country that’s at the top of your bucket list?

When I think about the countries I want to visit, I realise that my curiosity goes beyond beautiful landscapes, famous landmarks, or popular tourist destinations. I want to understand people, their cultures, their ways of thinking, and the experiences that shape their lives.

For me, travelling is not just about discovering the world outside. It is also about understanding how differently people see the same world and what their perspectives can teach us about our own lives.

There are several countries on my bucket list, but Japan, South Korea, the United States, and France are among the places I would particularly love to explore. Each attracts me for a different reason, and each offers an opportunity to understand something new.

1. Japan: Understanding Life in the Face of Uncertainty

Japan is at the top of my travel bucket list.

One of the things that makes me curious about Japan is its experience with earthquakes, including powerful ones. Knowing that people live in a country where nature can sometimes change circumstances in a matter of moments makes me wonder about their experiences, their preparedness, and their approach to uncertainty.

How do people learn to live with risks they cannot completely control? How do they prepare for difficult situations? When an unexpected event disrupts their lives, how do they begin to rebuild and move forward?

I want to understand the perspectives that help people navigate such challenges. I am interested in learning about their everyday lives, their preparedness for natural disasters, and the ways communities support one another during difficult times.

Of course, every person experiences hardship differently, and no entire population can be described by a single quality. Still, Japan’s experience with natural disasters makes me curious about the relationship between people, uncertainty, and resilience.

I want to visit Japan not only to see its beauty and experience its culture, but also to understand the people who call it home.

Perhaps there is something valuable to learn from understanding how people prepare for circumstances they cannot entirely predict while continuing to build their lives.

2. South Korea: The Power of Cultural Identity

After Japan, South Korea is another country I would love to visit.

What fascinates me about South Korea is the way its culture has reached people across the world. Through music, films, television, language, fashion, and other forms of creative expression, Korean culture has become familiar to people who may never have visited the country.

I find it particularly interesting that Korean artists and stars are also contributing to their country’s global identity. Through their work, they introduce international audiences to their language, traditions, and cultural heritage.

I want to understand the people behind this cultural influence. What inspires artists to share their language and heritage with the world? How do people preserve what makes their culture distinctive while participating in an increasingly connected world?

I find something meaningful in the idea that a language does not have to be spoken everywhere to become interesting to people everywhere. Sometimes, a song, a film, or a story can encourage someone on the other side of the world to learn a language they had never considered learning before.

South Korea makes me think about how culture can travel beyond geographical boundaries without losing its connection to its roots.

I would love to experience this culture more closely, interact with people, and understand how they see their own identity.

It also makes me reflect on my own culture. Every country has stories, traditions, languages, and forms of artistic expression that deserve to be shared.

Perhaps one lesson worth exploring is how people can take pride in their heritage while remaining open to the rest of the world.

3. The United States and France: Freedom, Individuality, and Self-Discovery

Beyond Japan and South Korea, I would also love to visit the United States and European countries such as France.

My curiosity about these places is connected to the way people think about personal freedom, individuality, and the different stages of life.

I want to understand how people navigate social expectations while making room for their own interests, aspirations, and identities.

One idea that particularly interests me is the possibility of living without treating age as a strict boundary around what a person can do.

Why should someone stop learning something new simply because they have reached a certain age? Why should a person believe that a dream is no longer worth pursuing because society considers them too old to begin?

Life does not always have to follow a fixed timeline.

Some people discover their passions early, while others need years of experience before they understand what truly matters to them. Some change their careers, learn new skills, travel alone, explore creative interests, or begin entirely new chapters later in life.

I want to understand how people in different societies approach these choices and how their cultures influence their understanding of freedom and personal identity.

I am also interested in the idea of living for oneself.

To me, living for yourself does not mean abandoning responsibilities or forgetting the people you love. It means recognising that your life has value beyond the roles you fulfil for others.

We can care for our families and still have personal dreams. We can respect society without allowing every social expectation to determine our choices. We can value relationships while also learning to understand our own needs.

Sometimes, we become so occupied with fulfilling expectations that we forget to ask ourselves a simple question:

What kind of life do I actually want to live?

I want to explore perspectives that encourage people to ask themselves this question, understand their choices, and discover who they are beyond the identities assigned to them.

I do not assume that everyone in the United States or France lives freely or thinks in the same way. Every society has its own expectations, pressures, and contradictions.

That is precisely why I want to experience these places beyond what I see in films, read in books, or encounter through social media.

I want to understand the realities of people’s lives, listen to their stories, and learn from perspectives different from my own.

Travelling to Understand, Not Just to See

When I think about these countries together, I realise that my different reasons for wanting to visit them are connected by a deeper curiosity.

Japan makes me curious about how people prepare for uncertainty and navigate difficult circumstances.

South Korea inspires me to explore the relationship between cultural identity and the desire to share one’s heritage with the world.

The United States and France make me curious about individuality, personal freedom, and the different ways people approach life beyond society’s expectations.

These interests may seem different, but they lead me towards the same question:

Can understanding other people’s lives help us understand our own?

We often grow up believing that the way we see the world is simply the way the world works. Our surroundings, traditions, families, and social expectations influence what we consider normal, acceptable, or possible.

But when we encounter different ways of living, we begin to recognise that some of our beliefs are not universal truths. They may simply be ideas we have never had the opportunity to question.

That realisation can open our minds.

We may discover new ways of approaching challenges, new meanings of success, different relationships with our culture, or a greater willingness to explore who we are.

Travelling cannot automatically change our thinking, and visiting another country does not mean that its people have all the answers. However, approaching different cultures with curiosity and respect can give us opportunities to learn things we might never have encountered in our familiar surroundings.

Perhaps that is what I want most from travelling.

I do not want to return home only with photographs, souvenirs, and memories of beautiful places. I want to return with questions I had never thought to ask, perspectives I had never considered, and a deeper understanding of the many ways people experience life.

Because the world is much larger than the boundaries of our everyday experiences.

And sometimes, stepping beyond those boundaries helps us see our own lives more clearly.

These Are Just a Few Names: I Want to Explore Every Corner of the World

Japan, South Korea, the United States, and France are just a few of the countries I would love to visit. My dream, however, is not limited to these destinations.

I want to reach every corner of the world, meet people from different countries, experience their cultures closely, and understand the perspectives through which they see and live life.

I want to discover places I have barely heard of and listen to stories from people whose lives may be completely different from mine. I want to understand how people find meaning in their lives while navigating different circumstances, traditions, and experiences.

I believe every corner of the world has something worth discovering and something we can learn from.

A place may be beautiful because of its mountains, oceans, architecture, or natural landscapes. But understanding its true identity also means getting to know the people who call it home.

How do they think? What matters most to them? What does happiness mean in their lives? How do they view relationships, family, work, freedom, and responsibility?

I do not want to learn about these things only by hearing what others say. As far as possible, I want to understand the experiences that shape people’s beliefs and perspectives.

I know that some journeys teach us about the world, while others encourage us to ask questions about ourselves that we may never have considered before.

Perhaps that is why I want to explore the world—not simply to discover what exists in other countries, but also to understand how people’s experiences can help me see my own life from a different perspective.

Because the world is far bigger than our own assumptions.

And sometimes, it is only when we step beyond the boundaries of what we know that we begin to see our lives more clearly.

A Question to Reflect On

If you could visit any country in the world, what would inspire you to choose it: its natural beauty, its culture, its people, or the experiences and lessons you hope to gain there?

Perhaps the most meaningful journeys are not always the ones that take us farthest from home, but the ones that help us see the world—and ourselves—in an entirely new way.

Movies and Imagination: The Role of Science, God and Nature

What’s the weirdest movie you’ve ever watched?

Honestly, I haven’t watched a movie in quite a while. But whenever I do, I sometimes find certain movies strange, especially those that exaggerate a small thing so much that it becomes completely detached from reality.

Some action scenes are so unrealistic and exaggerated that it feels as though there is no room left for the laws of science, the importance of nature, or even God.

I find this a little strange because when we read about or imagine a fictional world, we often give importance to science, God, and nature even in that world. We tend to see nature as something greater than ourselves and acknowledge that there are rules, forces, and mysteries in this universe that hold their own significance. Yet, sometimes, we create movies in which none of these seem to matter anymore. The action is exaggerated to such an extent that everything else gets left behind.

For me, imagination does not mean completely forgetting reality. Imagination can take us into a world that is entirely different from our own, but shouldn’t there still be room for science, God, and nature in that world?

Perhaps what I find strangest about some movies is that we take our imagination so far that we end up ignoring the very things we consider important even when imagining other worlds.”

Beyond Places: The People We Meet While Traveling

What’s the best way to meet new people while traveling?

When I travel, I am not always interested in visiting famous places or taking pictures of the most popular landmarks. What I enjoy more is meeting people and learning about the way they live.

There is always a curiosity in my mind: Are they also living and thinking in the same way I do? Or is there something unique in their culture that I have never experienced before?

Why I Like Meeting People While Traveling

Perhaps that curiosity is why I don’t want to remember a place only for its buildings, streets, or beautiful views. I want to know how people live there, what they think, what their everyday life looks like, and what makes their culture special enough to leave me with a memory that I can carry home.

Whenever I meet someone new while traveling, I don’t just want to have a conversation with them. I first try to understand them. I observe the way they behave, learn about their way of life, and try to understand the culture they come from.

Because every person carries more than just their own story. They also carry their culture, traditions, surroundings, and a different way of looking at life.

How I Connect With New People While Traveling

I think one of the most meaningful ways to connect with new people while traveling is to approach them with curiosity rather than assumptions. Instead of deciding what someone might be like before meeting them, I would rather be genuinely interested in knowing them.

Sometimes, even a simple question can open the door to a meaningful conversation:

“What is the most special thing about your place?”

That one question might introduce us to a part of a place that we would never find in a travel guide.

What People Can Teach Us About a Place

For me, traveling is not simply about going from one place to another. It is also about being around people who may live differently from me and discovering how much we can still have in common despite our different cultures.

Sometimes, the most beautiful memory from a new city is not a famous landmark. It can be the smile of a stranger, a short conversation, or a small detail about their culture that stays with us long after we have returned home.

Seeing the World Through People

Perhaps this is where my journey truly begins.

I enjoy meeting new people and learning about them—their favorite places, their personal journeys, and the experiences that may never appear in a travel guide.

In this way, I feel that I am not simply seeing the world; I am experiencing its different colors through the people I meet. Every person, every culture, and every place reveals a new side of the world to me.

And perhaps that is what I find most beautiful about traveling: discovering how different the world can be, how many cultures and perspectives it holds, and yet how wonderfully beautiful it all is.

If aliens arrived tomorrow, what’s the first thing you’d ask them?

If I ever got the chance to meet an alien, the first thing I would want to know about would be their world—how they live, how they see life, and what a good life means to them.

I would want to know if there is something in their world that we could learn from and use to make our own world a little better.

I would also ask them if their lives are as busy as ours. If they are, how do they manage it? Do they also spend most of their time rushing from one task to another, worrying about the future and trying to keep up with everything? Or have they found a better way to balance work, life, and simply being present?

Most of all, I would want to know how they live a healthy, peaceful, and happy life.

Maybe meeting someone from another world would not just teach us about them. Maybe it would help us look at our own world with a completely different perspective.”

Why Is Women’s Unpaid Work Still Undervalued?

What’s the most underrated life skill?

Why Is Women’s Domestic Work Still Undervalued?

Have you ever noticed how many things we do in life that people hardly consider useful?

There are so many tasks that most people do not even consider “work” and therefore see little value in the person doing them.

If you have thought about this before, that’s good. But if you haven’t, today I want to talk about some of these often-overlooked forms of work.

Let’s start with women who take care of their homes. Women who cook meals, clean the house, take care of children, wash clothes, dry them, iron them, and look after the everyday needs of their families.

But are these efforts really valued as much as they should be? Often, they are not. Many people believe that a woman does not need to be appreciated for these things because they are simply her “responsibility.”

But I often find myself asking: Why is this considered only a woman’s responsibility?

Why Is Housework Considered a Woman’s Responsibility?

If both men and women live in a home, why is the responsibility of maintaining it so often placed mainly on the woman?

Even today, many social and cultural attitudes continue to suggest that cooking, cleaning, childcare, and managing the household are naturally a woman’s responsibilities.

But is a home only a woman’s responsibility? If a home belongs to everyone in the family, then shouldn’t taking care of it also be a shared responsibility?

I think the problem is not simply about who does the work. The problem begins when someone’s effort is not even recognized as work.

Why Does the Same Work Seem More Valuable When It Is Paid?

There is something about this that I find deeply contradictory.

When a woman cooks for her own family, people may see it as an ordinary part of everyday life. But if the same woman goes to someone else’s home and cooks for money, suddenly her work has value.

Now it is considered a job.
Her effort has a price.
Her time has a value.

But when she does exactly the same work in her own home, why is her effort considered less valuable simply because she does not receive a salary for it?

Should the value of work really depend only on whether money is exchanged for it? I don’t think so.

Unpaid Domestic Work Is Still Work

Housework may look ordinary, but it requires time, effort, and responsibility.

A woman may wake up early to prepare meals. She may clean the house, take care of children, wash clothes, and look after the needs of other family members. And many times, she puts her own comfort and personal time aside for her family.

She may not receive a salary for these things, but that does not mean her effort has no value. If something requires time, effort, and responsibility, it is work—whether or not it is paid.

What Hurts Most Is When Women Undervalue Other Women

It may be easier to expect others to understand our efforts. But sometimes what hurts the most is when another woman herself fails to recognize the work of a woman.

Even today, women can sometimes face the harshest criticism from other women for the way they live, the work they do, or the choices they make.

We often forget that we do not know the whole story of another woman’s life. We do not know what time she wakes up, how many responsibilities she handles throughout the day, how much work she does, or how much time she has left for herself at the end of the day.

So perhaps, before judging another woman’s efforts or considering her work insignificant, we should pause and ask ourselves: If I were in her place, would I really find all of this so easy?

Why Is Women’s Work Still Not Valued Enough?

This question is not only about housework. It is about a mindset that often measures the value of work through money.

If someone works for their family without receiving a salary, it does not mean they are doing nothing. Sometimes, the time and effort required to hold a family together can be just as demanding as any paid job.

I believe we need to slowly change the way we think about this. Housework should not automatically be considered a woman’s responsibility. And no woman should feel that her work or her life is less valuable simply because she does not receive a salary for what she does.

Her effort has value.
Her time has value.
And most importantly, her identity and her life have value too.

Perhaps it is time we started noticing and appreciating the work that has been in front of us all along—work we have seen for years but have rarely stopped to truly understand.

Have you ever experienced this kind of treatment? Or has a woman in your family ever experienced it? What do you think about this?

Authentic Growth

What’s a personal mantra or philosophy you live by?

I believe life shouldn’t be lived in constant competition with others. Instead, we should live it by slowly becoming better versions of ourselves—learning something new every day, growing little by little, and continuously discovering who we are.

If we turn our entire life into a race against others, we may achieve many things, but we might forget how to actually enjoy living.

I believe we should live each moment with joy, enjoy every day, and, most importantly, never lose the childlike part of ourselves.

That is my personal mantra: keep discovering yourself, keep growing, but never forget to have fun while living.

In a world filled with constant rushing and mental pressure, perhaps staying connected to that simple, playful part of ourselves is one of the most valuable things we can do to remain happy.

What about you? Do you also want to live each day by discovering yourself, growing at your own pace, and enjoying the journey—or is this already how you choose to live?

​Is Music Just Something We Listen To, or a Way to Understand Ourselves?

​Music: A Medium for Expressing Emotions

​When Music Becomes Our Companion in the Uncertainty of Life

​The Place of Music in the Lives of Our Ancestors

​Music and Our Relationship with Memories

​From Music to the Journey of Self-Discovery

​In the End, Perhaps There Is a Question We Should Ask Ourselves

Time: The Most Precious Part of Our Lives

​Why Do We Understand the Value of Time Only After It Has Passed?

​Is Our Busy Lifestyle Taking Us Away from the Present?

​Science and Modern Life: Where Are We Heading in Our Efforts to Save Time?

​When We No Longer Have Time for Our Loved Ones

​If Only I Could Live Those Moments a Little Longer

​Are We Truly Living While Time Moves Forward?

​1. Japan: Understanding Life in the Face of Uncertainty

​2. South Korea: The Power of Cultural Identity

​3. The United States and France: Freedom, Individuality, and Self-Discovery

​Travelling to Understand, Not Just to See

​These Are Just a Few Names: I Want to Explore Every Corner of the World

​A Question to Reflect On

​Why I Like Meeting People While Traveling

​How I Connect With New People While Traveling

​What People Can Teach Us About a Place

​Seeing the World Through People