Hanyang University (HYU) is holding a series of invitation lectures under the theme of “Education for a Happy Life.” The lecture was organized by the College of Education, the Graduate School of Education, and the Graduate School of Counseling Psychology, with speakers provided by each college providing their own speakers. The first lecture was given by Jeong Jae-chan, a professor from the Department of Korean Language Education, on April 26. The Hanyang Journal interviewed an HYU student who attended the first lecture for her thoughts on the lecture.

Q. What led you to attend the lecture?

A. The theme of the lecture, “Education for a Happy Life,” caught my attention. Entering college, I have been thinking a lot about happiness. Through this lecture, I wanted to know what others think about the value of happiness and get advice on how to pursue it.

Q. What was the most impressive or memorable thing about the lecture?

A. The most impressive remark was, “As one grows older, they envy those who have useless things.” The professor pointed out that we always introduce ourselves with adjectives that reflect our status or affiliation. However, as we age, those adjectives get less important. Therefore, the professor advised us to think about how we define ourselves and live our lives in situations where the adjectives used to describe ourselves diminish. He also suggested that since our affiliations, occupations, and honors will eventually fade away, we should start filling our lives with valuable things like poetry, romance, beauty, and love. This made me think of happiness in a new way and helped me reflect on my past.

Q. What did you learn from this lecture after listening to it?

A. During the lecture, I learned that I can live a fulfilling life even with seemingly useless things. I used to believe that happiness could only be achieved with honor, money, and fame. However, I realized that I could only be truly happy by becoming someone who values and possesses other useless but valuable things.

Q. Could you please share your thoughts or review on the lecture you attended?

A. This lecture made me ponder on what happiness means to me and also gave me advice on how to create meaningful and valuable happiness. It was a meaningful and moving lecture, and I look forward to the upcoming lectures even more.