When working in New York, there are moments when you notice cultural differences, one of which is the way people are evaluated.

In Korea, when you see a child who excels in studies, looks good, and is athletic, people often say, "Good seed."

This phrase refers to a child who has inherited good genes from their parents, resulting in natural abilities.

However, in the U.S., during conversations, you often hear the opposite expression: "Bad seed."

In short, Korea praises good seeds, while the U.S. warns against bad seeds.

It seems like they are the same concept but viewed from very different perspectives.

Recently, during lunch at work, a conversation with colleagues turned to the HR manager's son.

He's ten years old and is already causing problems at school and lying frequently.

At that moment, an American colleague said, "That kid is a bad seed."

In that instant, I realized something... this is the opposite version of what we call "Good seed."

In Korea, this phrase is almost always a compliment.

When you see a handsome child, a good student, or an athletic kid, people say, "Indeed, he is a good seed."

This means that the good genes of the parents have been properly expressed in the child. When a celebrity's child appears on TV, the comments section is flooded with this phrase.

The key point is that it is positive. It expresses admiration and envy for having inherited good DNA. There's even a term for it: "엄친아" (a child of a wealthy and successful family).

However, Americans use this expression quite frequently, but in the completely opposite direction.

Even if the parents seem fine, when a child causes problems, or when the whole family repeats some negative patterns, they say, "He's a bad seed" or "Bad seed in that family."

This expression is so ingrained in American culture that there was a movie with the same title released in 1956.

It carries a strong nuance that something is inherently wrong with the nature of the person from birth.

Interestingly, both expressions are based on the premise that "you can't escape your genes."

In Korea, this phrase is used when the genes are good, while in the U.S., it is used when the genes are bad.

If you openly say, "Bad seed" in Korea, it would be a big deal, and in the U.S., the expression "Good seed" is rarely used.

This shows how each culture allows discussions about genes in only one direction.

When working in New York, if you compliment someone by saying, "You must have had good parents," Americans find it a bit awkward.

They feel uncomfortable mentioning birth before individual effort. On the other hand, saying "Bad seed" feels quite natural.

Perhaps in the U.S., good things are attributed to individual merit, while bad things are blamed on genetics.

It's not a matter of which perspective is right or wrong; it's interesting that both cultures consume the same concept in completely opposite ways.