Lawyer Lee Ju-mi calls desire for recognition a natural human need

During the fifth meeting of the Yeouido Yukto Club YouTube channel, lawyer Lee Ju-mi explained that the urge to be acknowledged by others is a fundamental psychological need rather than a petty emotion.

How should one view the "desire for recognition"—the urge to prove one's value to others? Is it merely a petty emotion driven by concern for how others perceive us, or is it a driving force for growth? In the recently released content "Who Has Something Embarrassing?" on the YouTube channel Yeouido Yukto Club, the cast shared honest confessions regarding this question.

The broadcast featured comedian Lee Eun-ji and Fried Chicken Angel (Park Ha-neul) and Cloud Pharmacist, with lawyer Lee Ju-mi appearing as a guest. For the fifth meeting of this channel, the cast selected "desire for recognition" as the theme. Lee Ju-mi pointed out that the desire for recognition is a fundamental psychological need to have one's abilities and existence acknowledged by others, suggesting there is no need to dismiss it as a petty emotion. She explained that while this desire can feel petty because, unlike other emotions, it has a nature of wanting to be expressed outwardly, it is a natural psychological need.

Seeking the studio despite claiming not to care about views

The discussion on the desire for recognition led to specific examples involving the real-life experiences of the cast. Lee Eun-ji revealed her honest feelings, stating that while she aims to be a "mature leader" who does not obsess over view counts during her YouTube activities, she often finds herself repeatedly entering the studio just to check the views. This moment highlighted the human tendency to want to act cool while actually wanting to confirm the reactions of others.

Fried Chicken Angel shared similar concerns. He confessed that although he started his activities with a light heart, believing he could quit at any time because he has a main profession, his desire to continue and perform better has grown, making the opinions of others increasingly important. This shift signifies that as his sincerity toward his activities increased, it naturally led to a desire to be recognized.

Responding to the comment, "You came here easily thanks to Chimchakman"

A specific instance of a comment experienced by Fried Chicken Angel drew attention during the conversation. He shared that he once encountered a comment to the effect of, "You came to this position quite easily because you have the reliable support of Chimchakman." While such a comment could typically be taken as criticism or a malicious comment, he stated that he instead accepted it as a "model comment."

Fried Chicken Angel responded that through this comment, he was able to clearly understand how he was being perceived and which areas he needed to supplement. He explained that he did not feel bad seeing the comment; rather, knowing there was someone who viewed him in that way served as an indicator of how he could move forward more actively. This demonstrated an attitude of using the feedback as an opportunity for growth to confirm his position and identify areas for improvement, rather than being driven by excessive self-consciousness.

The value of "effort" hidden behind the desire to be recognized

Lee Ju-mi mentioned that the targets of the desire for recognition are primarily people close to us, explaining that one feels a sense of relief that they exist only when they receive recognition from them. This suggests that the desire for recognition is not merely for showing off, but an instinctive urge to confirm one's position within relationships.

Through the conversation, the cast agreed that "recognizing oneself" is as important as receiving recognition from others. They left a message that the key to satisfying the thirst for recognition is the process of saying to oneself the words one wishes to hear from others, and acknowledging one's own "effort" put into creating results, rather than just the results themselves.

Source: original video (YouTube)