Negative Space

I was so used to living in my own world—every time I zoned out and eventually returned to the present moment, I realized that everyone else in the room was somewhere else too.

It was common to find people enjoying their solitude, whether they were having lunch, taking a walk in the park, or just sitting on a bench near a river. Even when they were with others, it often felt like they were still deep in thought. Silent... together.

When it came to interacting with the local Taiwanese, I was often hesitant. Due to their quiet nature, I assumed they were shy or uninterested. To my surprise, it was quite the opposite.

I wasn’t just meeting quiet people but extremely thoughtful and observant individuals. They noticed everything, and it felt as though they always had a good read on the room. These were people who could anticipate your wants and needs, sometimes even before you had the chance to conceptualize them yourself. There really was no hiding... or maybe you just had to be better at it, like they were.

After reading more about it, I came across the terms kuuki wo yomu, Japanese for "read the air," and nunchi, Korean for "eye sense."

Both terms describe the common cultural concept of anticipating the unspoken needs of others. In other words, the young are taught to read between the lines and behave in a way that aligns with the expectations of others, thereby maintaining harmony in society.

Because of this, much of the communication is non-verbal. There is a great appreciation for the feelings and expectations of others, and many expectations are understood implicitly.

I call it negative space.