[Hyungyoung Joo Column] IVE Jang Won-young's 'Won-young Thinking' Spreads Ultra-Positive Virus

[Creator's World by Heo Young-ju]
IVE Jang Won-young's 'Ultra-Positive Thinking' Meme Goes Viral
A Prime Example of an Idol Exerting Positive Influence

Just how far does the scope of memes extend? Recently, IVE Jang Won-young's ‘ultra-positive thinking’ has become a meme known as ‘Won-young Thinking’.

According to the original X (Twitter) post that started the meme, while positive thinking might be expressed as ‘There’s still half the water left?’, and negative thinking as ‘There’s only half the water left?’, Won-young Thinking would be something like ‘I was just about to finish practice and have some water, and guess what? There’s exactly half the bottle left!! It’s too much to drink all of it, but too little to just drink a bit, so I was thinking it would be perfect if there was just half, and it’s like a total lucky bikki!’

In short, it can be described as a mindset similar to ‘Oh well, it’s fine’ or ‘Everything that happens to me is ultimately a good thing for me.’

This meme can be used in a variety of ways. For example, when I was complaining about a traffic jam, my mother told me, “Quickly, think like Won-young!”, and I replied, “Because of the traffic jam, I get to spend more time with my family, it’s a total lucky bikki!”

It was a playful exchange, but I actually found myself laughing and my complaints disappearing as I experienced the power of Won-young Thinking. And I began to think that this meme, which helps shift the ‘frame’ of an event into a positive one, could be a ‘positive influence’ for young people who are losing hope.

The fact that someone’s way of thinking itself can become a social phenomenon and a ‘meme’ made me reflect on myself. What kind of thoughts do I have? What would be the ‘Young-ju Thinking’ that someone might be influenced by when they are around me?

I believe in the idea that ‘hardship is a path to blessings’, so when hardship comes, I have a mindset where I quietly anticipate and wonder what kind of blessing this hardship will lead to. Young-ju Thinking could be described as an attitude of suspending judgment about an event and feeling ‘curiosity’ about how the future will unfold.

I hope that the readers of this article will also take some time to reflect on themselves and think about what their ‘00 Thinking’ would be.

The reason we need to reflect on ourselves in this way is that our way of thinking and our attitude towards life also subtly ‘influence’ those around us. If you spend time with friends who curse, you may unknowingly develop the habit of cursing yourself. If you spend time with cheerful friends, you may unknowingly become cheerful yourself. When you’re with people who are always challenging themselves, challenging becomes natural. When you’re with people who are grateful for everything, gratitude itself becomes a habit in life.

So, let’s reflect on what kind of thoughts we have and consider what kind of influence it has on those around us.

In this era where negative content and memes such as ‘Ise-mang’ (This Life is Ruined) and ‘Hell Joseon’ (Hell Korea) are rampant, Jang Won-young’s ultra-positive ‘Won-young Thinking’ becoming a meme is ‘lucky bikki’ itself.

Social media algorithms recognize the human tendency to dwell longer on negative things than positive ones, and they show people more negative content as a result. Young people in the next generation who grow up watching such negative content have a hard time developing a positive mindset. In the midst of this, Jang Won-young’s positive mindset becoming a meme and a trend is something truly welcome in our society.

Although the cycle of memes is becoming shorter these days, I hope the ‘Won-young Thinking’ meme will continue to trend for a long time. I hope that young people trapped in negative messages will regain their positivity and experience a change in perspective, a shift in ‘frame’ through this meme.

※ I am the author of this article andan article contributed to WomanEconomy Newspaper.