It's no secret that East Asian hospitality is legendary. Wherever you go, from Japan to Thailand to Indonesia, there is an awareness that they know how to make you feel welcome. (Or so I'm told -- my travel portfolio is admittedly very Western-heavy.)
But there is a uniquely Korean tradition that goes back thousands of years called nunchi. In a nutshell, nunchi is the ability to anticipate someone's mood.
This can apply to an individual or to an entire room. Literally meaning "eye-measure", nunchi enables a person to read an individual or a room at first glance, picking up on both verbal and especially non-verbal cues. With the goal of creating trust, connection, and harmony -- three paramount values in Eastern culture -- a person practicing nunchi will certainly not be the person seeking attention; it will rather be the person who has learned the importance of listening. It will be the person who is aware of their surroundings.
I have to say my favorite of the rules of nunchi is this:
"Never pass on a good opportunity to shut up."
I think I'll just leave it right there.
:-)