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YOUR NUNCHI! Got a case of foot in mouth? Brush up on your social skills with this ancient Korean art
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hen it comes to the tricky world of social interactions, have you ever noticed that some people just get it? They’re the ones who always seem to know exactly what to say even in the most awkward moments, and at dinner parties they’ll top up your wine glass before you’ve even realised it’s empty. They may not realise it, but they probably have excellent nunchi.
Pronounced ‘noon-chi’, it stems from Korean culture and is the art of sensing what the people around you are thinking and feeling in order to create trust and harmony. This helps to avoid sticky situations, from work to social events and even relationships. Euny Hong, academic and author of The Power of Nunchi: The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success, takes us through how we can practise nunchi and the benefits that come with it.
THE BASICS ‘For beginners, I recommend honing nunchi skills at work before trying it on friends or family,’ says Euny. ‘At your next work meeting, rather than being the loudest voice in the room, observe instead. First things first: who exactly in the room? Is e atmosphere Jennie from Blackpink ht or heavy? mentions oes your boss nunchi in the K-pop hit ok like he has Ddu-Du ad news? Ddu-Du tudying your ork culture will ive you the nswers to the uestions you idn’t even know ou should be sking. Nunchi eans reading
the situation and understanding that every room and workplace is different.’ Once you get better at reading a room, you can influence and change the mood. If you’re running a meeting, Euny suggests offering bite-size treats at the start – even just some mini chocolates. ‘Say (but don’t yell), “Hi there everyone, I brought [food item],”’ she explains. ‘Make sure you use the word “everyone”, which sets the tone that for as long as you’re in that conference room, you are one organism.’ Ask people to pass the snacks around rather than simply telling everyone to ‘help themselves’. The passing motion creates connection. ‘It’s a way of making people pay attention to others,’ says Euny. ‘This energy circle you’ve created is a powerful, unifying force that will make everyone cooperate better, be more interested in what everyone has to say, and increase the chance of attaining any goals from that meeting.’
