๐ INTRODUCTION
Many people believe that achieving a major goal will finally make them happy.
Getting accepted into a prestigious university.
Losing weight.
Looking better.
Becoming more successful.
But what happens when those achievements fail to remove the insecurity hiding beneath the surface?
This meditation testimonial shares the story of Kang-woo P., a Seoul National University student, who struggled for years with inferiority, self-consciousness, and an obsession with appearance.
After gaining significant weight during high school, he became deeply affected by criticism and judgment from others. Even after losing the weight and entering one of Korea’s most prestigious universities, the feelings of insecurity remained.
Through the meditation method taught by Master Woo Myung, he discovered that the true source of his suffering was not his appearance, his weight, or other peopleโit was the mental images and judgments he carried within himself.
As he learned to let go of those burdens, he found a confidence that no longer depended on appearance, achievements, or approval from others.
This meditation testimonial beautifully illustrates how true self-confidence emerges when we discover our authentic selves beyond comparison and inferiority.
๐ฌ MEDITATION TESTIMONIAL: โI FINALLY OVERCAME MY INFERIORITY COMPLEXโ
By Kang-woo P. | Seoul National University Student
During my senior year of high school, I gained a significant amount of weight.
I had always loved eating, and because I was focused entirely on studying, I gradually gained more weight without realizing it.
Eventually, people began saying things like:
“Why did you gain so much weight?”
“You look like a middle-aged man.”
For someone who had previously been told he was handsome, those words were devastating.
I suddenly felt unattractive, embarrassed, and ashamed.
Whenever I went outside, I pulled my hat down low and tried to avoid attention.
Looking back, I was deeply trapped in feelings of inferiority.
๐ EVEN ENTERING SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY COULDN’T REMOVE MY INFERIORITY
After being accepted into Seoul National University, I immediately joined a gym.
Within two months, I lost nearly twenty kilograms.
Externally, everything seemed better.
But internally, nothing had changed.
The fear remained.
Every morning, I checked my weight obsessively.
If the number increased even slightly, I rushed out to exercise.
Then another problem appeared.
I had spent years believing:
“Once I enter Seoul National University, everything will be solved.”
But after entering, I discovered something unexpected.
There were countless students around me who were incredibly talented.
The moment I realized:
“There are people far better than me,”
I felt overwhelmed by defeat and insecurity.
Even casual jokes about my weaknesses could deeply affect my confidence.
๐ TRYING TO HIDE MY INFERIORITY THROUGH APPEARANCE
To compensate for my insecurity, I became increasingly obsessed with my appearance.
I studied fashion magazines.
I searched markets for stylish clothing.
I spent large amounts of money on new outfits.
If I wasn’t perfectly dressed from head to toe, I felt uncomfortable leaving the house.
If even one small detail seemed wrong, my confidence disappeared.
Ironically, even though I constantly bought clothes, I always felt like:
“I have nothing to wear.”
Every day felt like another performance.
Another image to create.
Another version of myself to present to the world.
Then one day, I attended a university meditation camp.
๐ฟ ONCE I LET GO OF MY MIND, EVERYTHING CHANGED
During meditation, I finally faced the inferiority I had spent years trying to hide.
I began letting go of:
โข The hurtful comments about my appearance
โข The judgment I felt from others
โข The memories of feeling small and inferior
โข The fear of not being good enough
One by one, I discarded those memories.
Gradually, my mind became lighter.
Then something profound happened.
I suddenly realized:
“The origin of all of us is fundamentally one.”
For me, it was an incredibly powerful experience.
Before that realization, I constantly believed:
“I am separate from everyone else.”
Because of that belief, I always felt pressure to stand out, compete, and prove myself.
But when that framework disappeared, something changed.
The separation disappeared.
The comparison disappeared.
And along with them, my inferiority complex disappeared as well.
โจ THE FALSE SELF NEEDS DECORATION โ THE REAL SELF NATURALLY SHINES
After that experience, I no longer felt the need to constantly decorate myself to gain confidence.
As my obsession with appearance faded, relationships became much easier.
One day, I openly told friends:
“I used to struggle deeply with insecurity about my appearance.”
To my surprise, nobody judged me.
Instead, they responded warmly.
Some even said:
“You seem much more approachable now.”
Others told me:
“Your face looks softer.”
“Your eyes seem kinder.”
That surprised me.
I had always believed revealing my insecurities would make people look down on me.
Instead, it allowed genuine connection to happen.
I realized that when the mind becomes peaceful, even a person’s appearance naturally changes.
๐ NOW I’M FINALLY LIVING MY REAL LIFE
During meditation, I once heard a statement that stayed with me:
“The false constantly tries to decorate itself because it knows it is false.”
“The real shines naturally without decoration.”
Looking back, I had been living almost entirely within a world of appearances, comparison, vanity, and illusion.
Naturally, inferiority followed me wherever I went.
But through meditation, I was able to let go of those false selves.
For the first time, I no longer feel trapped by appearance, achievement, or the opinions of others.
Now, it feels as though I am finally living my real life.
And that has brought a confidence far greater than anything external could ever provide.
