[허영주의 크리에이터 세상]
IVE Jang Won-young's 'Ultra-Positive Thinking' Meme Goes Viral
A Role Model for Idols Who Exert a Positive Influence

Where does the scope of memes go? Recently, IVE Jang Won-young's 'ultra-positive thinking' has become a meme under the name 'Won-young-esque thinking.'

According to the original X (Twitter) post where the meme originated, positive thinking would be like saying 'There's still half the water left?', negative thinking would be like saying 'There's only half the water left?', and Won-young-esque thinking would be like saying 'I was going to drink water after practice, and guess what? There was exactly half the water left!! Too much to drink it all, too little to drink a little bit, so I was thinking it would be perfect if there was exactly half, and it's totally lucky for me!'

In a nutshell, it can be summed up as a way of thinking like 'It's actually good' or 'Everything that happens to me is ultimately good for me.'

This meme can be used in various ways. For example, my mother told me to 'Think like Won-young' when I was complaining about traffic, and I replied, 'Traffic is a good thing because I get to spend more time with my family. That's totally lucky for me!'

We joked around, but I actually experienced the power of Won-young-esque thinking as my complaints vanished and I started laughing. And I realized that this meme, which shifts the 'frame' of an event to a positive one, could be a 'positive influence' for young people who are losing hope.

I was struck by the fact that someone's way of thinking itself could become a social phenomenon and a 'meme', and I reflected on myself. What kind of thinking do I have? What is the 'Yeongju-esque thinking' that someone might be influenced by?

I believe that 'hardship is a path to blessings', so when hardship comes, I have a way of thinking that makes me wonder what blessings this hardship will lead to and look forward to the future. Yeongju-esque thinking can be described as an attitude of suspending judgment about an event and being 'curious' about how the future will unfold.

I hope that the readers of this article will also take some time to think about what their own '00-esque thinking' is.

The reason why we should reflect on ourselves is because our way of thinking and attitude towards life also subtly 'influences' those around us. When you hang out with friends who swear, you unconsciously develop a habit of swearing. When you hang out with cheerful friends, you unconsciously become cheerful. When you are with people who challenge themselves, challenging becomes natural. When you are with people who are grateful for everything, gratitude itself becomes a habit in life.

Therefore, let's reflect on what kind of thinking we have and think about what kind of influence it has on those around us.

In this era where negative content and memes such as 'I've ruined this life' and 'Hell Joseon' (Hell Korea) are rampant, Jang Won-young's ultra-positive 'Won-young-esque thinking' becoming a meme is 'lucky for me' in itself.

Social media algorithms recognize the human tendency to pay more attention to negative things than positive things, and they show people more negative content. It has become difficult for the next generation of young people who grew up watching such negative content to have a positive mindset. It is a very welcome event in our society that Jang Won-young's positive mindset has become a meme and a trend in the midst of all this.

Even though the cycle of memes is short nowadays, I hope that the 'Won-young-esque thinking' meme will continue to be popular for a long time. I hope that young people who are trapped in negative messages will regain their positivity and experience a change in 'frame' by looking at events from a different perspective.

※ This article was written by me and is a reprint of an article in the Woman Economy Newspaper..