" I Am Proud of You"

2008-04-10     Kim Myungsook (Prof., Dept, of




  I am not sure how many of you would agree with this, but there are some people who believe that the following words are the most important English words.


In 5 words, they are “I am proud of you!”

In 4 words, they are “What is your opinion?”

In 3 words, they are “If you please.”

In 2 words, they are “Thank you.”

In one word, it is “You.”


  The main idea embedded in all these words is that the word ‘you’ is more important than any other word, probably ‘I’ in particular. Do you agree with this? I will definitely say “Yes, I do!”


  Nonetheless, in my real life, ‘I’ always comes first. I think and act my way and I always have excuses for doing certain things. I appreciate what other people do only when it satisfies my taste. I've got to reach for the higher place first to ensure my share. I have to be served well before I do the same thing to other people and I am the center of this universe! But, to my sorrow, I can't live alone. To survive on this planet, I am supposed to stay with other people including ‘you.’ I have recognized this as soon as I became the member of the Soongsil community.


  It has been four years since I started teaching at SSU. The first thing I like about my school based on my experiences is that it values ‘you’ more highly than any other word. Every member of SSU knows that the University is being guided by the Christian ideal, ‘Truth and Service.’ No matter what your religious inclination is, you should understand the University promotes the spirit of sharing and service to other people. Even in this highly competitive era of globalization, the University is more concerned about producing leaders who can practice the values of

altruism all over the world. Not to mention the fact that they have excellent academic abilities as educated here at Soongsil, the leaders who are equipped with the spirit of sharing and service will make a difference for the world.


  So, you, new Soongsilians! You have chosen the right place at right time. By the time you graduate from the University, each of you will become the truly uppermost leader who is considerate to other people(‘you’), says “thank you” all the time, does the things the way of “if you please,” and asks “what is your opinion?” before making a decision. And most of all, “I am proud of you!”


(By the way, if you don’t agree with the most important English words I have chosen, what are your alternatives? Please e-mail me if you have more important English words in your mind. I value your opinion.)