[Korean Culture & Language] 꿈보다 해몽이 좋다

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!


People believe that dreams are parts of a cognitive process (Hall), compensations for underdeveloped parts of the psyche(Jung), reflections of waking life (Domhoff), or the unconscious wishes of the dreamer (Freud). 

While there are many hypotheses about why we dream, no one knows for sure what dreams are for or how to interpret them. Although dreams are fascinating, deciphering their implications can be difficult. Many people believe that dreams have profound implications because some dreams are so vivid and compelling.

Photo by Kate Stone Matheson on Unsplash

In Korea, there’s a saying “꿈보다 해몽이 좋다(the interpretation is better than the dream itself)”. The idiom is used when someone tries to think too positively about something insignificant or unpleasant. It could also mean that ‘happiness is determined by one’s mindset, so one should think optimistically’. The idiom is sometimes used sarcastically or jokingly to someone who tries to think positively about something just to make themselves feel better.

Ex) 

A: 이거 세번째 접시잖아. 너 다이어트 한다고 하지 않았어? (This is your third plate. You said you were on a diet, didn’t you?)

B: 탄수화물은 내 근육에 영양소를 공급하고, 단백질은 근육을 회복시켜! (Carbohydrates fuel my muscles, and proteins repair them.)

A: 너 20분밖에 운동 안했잖아! 꿈보다 해몽이 좋네 (You only did a 20-minute workout! Your interpretation is better than the dream itself!)


Have you ever interpreted a dream better than the dream itself?


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