Lemmings, small rodents which are usually found in or near the Arctic, are the subject of a popular conception that they commit mass suicide when they migrate. They follow one another in a migration that leads to their plunging off a cliff one after another. In the past, their behavior seemed to be glorified in that they purposely killed themselves, potentially to save more food for others.

However, it is now known that as they approach the cliff top, the leader suddenly changes direction heading along the cliff towards a path down to the water. Those lucky enough to be in the front of the following pack see this and also manage to change direction, while those behind them realize too late and get pushed over the cliff, falling to their doom because of the pressure of the group. The lemmings at the back of the pack don’t see that their leaders have left them. They only see those in front of them going over the cliff.

Therefore, lemmings became a metaphor for people who go along unquestioningly with popular opinion, with potentially dangerous or fatal consequences, which can be extended to the term the “Lemming Effect,” the act of following the crowd into an investment that will inevitably lead to disaster.

The “Lemming Effect” can be seen in the behavior of people, especially college students. Lots of college students are stirred up by social trends like lemmings, playing away their lives without knowing what they want or who they are. Most freshmen plan and struggle to get a high score on TOEIC or TOEFL, even though they do not know the difference between them or the purpose of the tests. Funny enough, I met some students who were struggling to get a high score on TOEIC, although they wanted to study abroad. It is like shooting a gun with no target or at the wrong target. Some students prepare for the civil service exam, ignoring their aptitude because of job stability. Like lemmings, they are blindly driven by group pressure. I want to give some advice to students who have never tried to make plans for themselves and just study with no goals.

First, free yourself from the expectations and attention of others, especially parents. Rather, set up your own definite standards to satisfy yourself when they are achieved. The evaluations and expectations of others can sometimes be valuable advice or motivation for you, but self-knowledge and self-assessment are the first things that need to be taken care of. What occupation do you really want to have, not the one your parents or teachers recommend? What makes you happy? What kind of books do you usually read, apart from self-enrichment books, that bring cheer and comfort to you? If you cannot answer these questions immediately, you need to start to understand and analyze yourself by asking this question, “What do I really want to do in my lifetime, indulging my passion and energy?”

Second, make the world revolve around you. Be the main character in the play of your life and be the center of the world. These statements do not encourage egoism, but make you focus more on your feelings and dreams. At your stage of life, struggling to satisfy the expectations and feelings of other people is putting the cart before the horse. The following lines imply the truth of life.


Dance as if no one is watching
Love as if you’ve never been hurt
Sing as if no one is listening
Live like it’s heaven on earth


Most people sing songs for others, not themselves, and dance to get attention from other people rather than to express their own feelings. They work to acquire a higher position and better pay, not for self-realization or to demonstrate ability and passion. As they forget about the fact that their life span is limited, they waste their lives, struggling to satisfy the expectations of others.

Refuse to dimly fade away; rather, make your life burn brilliantly with youthful zest. Never be afraid of any person or any experience, and march in a stately manner in every moment of your life. Reach the top of your life and look around the four corners of the earth. Do not lose your romance and aspirations in adversity. Lastly, I recommend a passage from W. J. Bryan which I recite every morning.


“Destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice.
It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.”


By Prof, Park Jong-duck
The College of Liberal Education
parkjongduck@kmu.ac.kr