Dear Reader,

How much of us is innately predetermined and how much of us is “made” as a result of our environment? Yes, the typical “Nature vs. Nurture” debate. Biologically, they say genetics determine not just our appearances and susceptibility to particular health conditions, but also seemingly intangible traits such as personality to a certain extent. Making the matter more complicated, there is also the concept of epigenetics, which explains that your behavior and the environments you are exposed to may change the way your genes work and even be inherited by your descendants.

I understand all of this on a conceptual, academic level. But striding through life, these concepts don’t really resonate in reality. Just a few years ago, I would slip into deep sleep at classical concerts, the music merely white noise filling the background, waking up startled by the crash of the cymbals (I’m sure many of you would relate). But look back on me two weekends ago. I attended three chamber music concerts in two days, enjoying the flow of melodies, the rich tones of the bassline, and the rise and fall of dynamics after going to concerts with so many people around me passionate about classical music.

In this month’s issue of The KAIST Herald, we discuss how our actions and behaviors are influenced by the people and environment around us. With the launch of the 1,000 KRW breakfast at KAIMARU (N11), we estimate over 200 students to have woken up early for breakfast. While the compulsion to maintain a “skinny form” has been a long-standing issue, we remark how ostentation of fitness on social media platforms has brought body image to a new level. We identify the exposure to drugs through media as one of the key factors to the exponentially increasing drug abuse cases in Korea.

We often divide the idea of “influences” into two discrete categories: positive influences and negative influences. As we define it, positive influences are what make a better outcome — a smart friend; a work opportunity at a renowned company; a trip that broadens your cultural experience. Negative influences are the opposite — a grumpy passer-by; a puff at a cigarette or a drug; even a declining economy and rising inflation. However, I do not believe that this categorization is right. Influencing factors in themselves aren’t intrinsically “good” or “bad”, they could affect us in either way. Our response to them and the subsequent outcome is what makes them one or the other. 

But at the same time, is our response a matter of choice? Can we control whether our response becomes constructive or otherwise? My answer would be “no”. To be more clear, yes, our actions are partially our choices. We choose to ask our smart friend for help or to make diverse acquaintances while touring new places. We choose to be offended by a rude remark by the passer-by or to continue smoking. But not every aspect of that is voluntary. In the background of all the choices we make are other influences — family upbringing, education, social norms — and we may not be fully informed of the implications that each choice will bring. Not to mention that some indirect elements, like international relations and economic twists and turns which undoubtedly affect us in one way or another, simply cannot be controlled. 

I realize that to you, dear Reader, the Herald is one influence. The news that we deliver, the people that we introduce, and the opinions we express in our paper, along with the nuances in each of those pieces of writing, may change you — whether or not you notice it. And with that realization comes greater responsibility that we must fulfill. Our role as reporters is to maximize our chances of becoming a positive influence by communicating our research, knowledge, and thoughts to you to the fullest of our capabilities. We rely on you to make our influences truly positive.

Hae-Rim Kim

Editor-in-Chief