TRIVIA: SEESAW

"I want to say that everyone in the world is lonely and everyone is sad, and if we know that everyone is suffering and lonely, I hope we can create an environment where we can ask for help, and say things are hard when they're hard, and say that we miss someone when we miss them."

Maybe you've had a time when your heart was racing, your eyes just wanted to let out their never-ending stream, and your hands pleaded for another pair so that you could take at least one more step, but still, when you turned around and searched every corner, your eyes found nothing, you screamed at the top of your lungs but nobody heard, and you finally had to accept that you were alone. You couldn't ask a single individual in a world of billions to aid you. Is the world around us really that harsh? Why is it so tough for us to express our true feelings? Is it because we are afraid of being unheard even after speaking up? Or worse, folks leave after discovering the truth.

A heart that has been through a lot and eventually won the war always hopes that no one else has to go through what it has. That individual will do his or her best to make a difference in the world, whether it is huge or small. Min Yoongi is one such individual.

Yoongi was born in the South Korean city of Daegu to a poor household. He used to go to school despite his poverty, but he found it difficult to concentrate because he never found his academics interesting. He was inspired to compose music when he was in sixth school after hearing "Epik High," a South Korean hip-hop group formed in 2001. He has aspired to be a singer ever since. So, even in class, he would scribble song lyrics on scraps of paper.

His parents despised the fact that he spent his time penning songs rather than learning. So anytime they came upon his lyrics, they threw them away and forced him to study. He endured numerous financial crises as a result of his poverty and lack of parental support, making it impossible for him to continue working on music. He tried to market his songs at times, but it was too difficult for him. He, too, was frequently duped. When he had a lot less money, he had to pick between buying a bowl of noodles and buying a bus ticket back to his place. He often used to come home hungry.

"Was I needy for success? No, I'm just needy for money."

Yoongi tried out for the Big Hit "Hit It!" audition. After auditioning, he came in second place out of all the rappers and was hired as a trainee. He was promised that he would be in a rapper group with little to no choreography and a focus on his producing skills. Yoongi agreed to the offer. Yoongi began working as a newspaper delivery guy throughout his traineeship. He was once hit by a car while distributing papers in a hit-and-run accident, which severely injured his shoulder. He opted not to notify anyone since he was terrified of losing his job. As a result, he fought through the agony as a trainee.

Because of all this, he started developing depression and social anxiety. Through his songs, he has opened up to the most untouched and ‘taboo’ topic in any Asian household: 'depression’. For example, in his solo song ‘The Last’ from the AGUST D album, he said these words:

It was when I was about 18 that my social phobia developed.

Yeah, it was about then that my mind became polluted more and more.

On my first visit to a psychiatrist, my parents came to Seoul and had a consultation with me.

My parents said they didn’t know me well.

I don’t know myself well either. Then who would know? (Who knows?)

Friend? If not, you? Nobody knows me well.

The doctor asked me, (Have you ever -beep-)

Without hesitation, I answered that I have

We do not exactly know what the doctor asked since it was censored, but it's evident from the context. His pain must have been so intense that his teenage brain decided to end the suffering forever. Mental illness is not a myth. Anxiety, depression, and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) are not made-up concepts. They are real. Even if they are not physically visible, they also have symptoms, and they too exist. They exist but are not widely accepted. Most of the time, if one tries to talk about their mental wellness, they are either told to just 'not think' much or forced to believe that they are okay and not say these things to someone else.

Yoongi always makes a point of sharing his traumas because he wants to help at least one person who is going through the same things he is. He believes that via his music, at least one of us may find hope. Yoongi wishes to remind us that nothing lasts forever and that everything bad in life will come to an end at some point. A seesaw that is falling is bound to rise again. He thinks that others may identify with him since he has overcome adversity, and if he has achieved success in life, so can we. He wants to teach us that there are numerous reasons to live and that life does not end when challenges emerge. He wants us to wait until things start to clear up before making a decision for ourselves, rather than jumping to the conclusion that everything has finished.

If you feel like you’re going to crash, then accelerate more, you idiot.

Never mind, never mind.

We’re too young and immature to give up, you idiot.

Never mind

-Yoongi in INTRO: Never Mind (song by BTS)

Yoongi, now known as Suga, is a rapper, songwriter, record producer, and, of course, one of the seven members of BTS, the world's biggest boy band at the moment. His lyrics are all incredibly self-reflective of himself and society, and he isn't scared to discuss social consciousness concerns. He is one of the most outspoken Korean idols on LGBT rights and mental illness, both of which are exceedingly taboo in South Korea.

Through his songs, Suga wants us to realize that around the globe, there are thousands of people suffering, and we are not alone. If hundreds have won this battle, and hundreds are on the verge of winning it, so can we. No matter how bad or hard life gets, giving up is not the solution. Maybe it's the last day, and tomorrow the pain will end, so we can't give up today. Every day, remind yourself that the best moment is yet to come. Here are some verses and raps by Suga from songs co-written by him to remind you that even if it's hard, you are not alone, and even if you hate yourself, your flaws also belong to you, so every day try to love yourself a little more for giving your best.

A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone

At the end of this road, you walk alone.

Will you step on it, whatever there may be?

Sometimes we get tired or sick.

That’s okay; I am by your side.

If you and I are together,

We can smile.

Answer: Love Myself

Loving myself might be harder.

Than loving someone else, let's admit it.

The standards you made are more strict for yourself

The thick tree rings in your life

It's part of you, it's you.

Now let's forgive ourselves.

Our lives are long, trust yourself when in a maze

When winter passes, spring always comes

2!3!

It’s okay, come on When I say one, two, three forget it

Erase all sad memories

Smile holding onto each other’s hands

Hoping for more good days

If you believe what I say then one, two, three (one two three)

I'm Fine

I'm so fine, you so fine

Our future will only have happiness

So put away your fear

Enjoy it, you worked hard, we so fine

Magic Shop

You gave me the best of me

So you'll give you the best of you

You'll find it

The galaxy in you

Mikrokosmos

Our own dreams, let us shine

You shine brighter than anyone else

Yoongi continues to inspire people all around the world and to change people's lives, particularly those suffering from depression and mental illness