[RM] Leadership and 'Normalcy' for Namjoon [The One Who Closes the Window]
A project that would have me falling asleep in seconds
BTS leader Namjoon appeared on the podcast-style channel 'Fashion Neurosis,' where guests lie on a couch and chat, feeling like a therapy session!
I'll write down the parts that stayed with me (*´艸｀)
Original video
Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:28 What are you wearing today?
00:01:25 Humility and success
00:05:29 Childhood and family style
00:07:28 Stendhal syndrome
00:10:30 Hiding or revealing identity through clothing
00:14:28 Literature
00:19:27 Leadership
00:23:41 Working with Wing Shya on 'Right Place, Wrong Person'
00:30:39 Kim Gordon and Korean punk
00:32:42 RM's art collection
00:36:25 Airport fashion
00:38:33 Clothes that make you feel good
00:43:40 Delicacy in fashion
00:46:35 Self-discipline
00:50:53 Attractive clothing
00:52:42 If you're attracted to someone...
00:54:37 Normalcy and routine
00:56:42 BTS's new album 'ARIRANG'
00:59:53 Conclusion
Namjoon and leadership
Interviewer: I was curious about how you deal with the loneliness that comes with being a leader.
🐨RM: ...Ah, it's still difficult even now.
Because I was the first member of the team, the band, and the label, I was given the heavy pressure of holding the team together.
We came from different cities, had different tastes, different dreams, and completely different backgrounds. So for the first 8 or 9 years, I think I was a really overwhelming, powerful, and bossy type of leader.
But as the team grew and the members started to have their own names and careers, that method no longer worked. Of course, they had also grown significantly themselves.
Since then, I've changed my way of communicating.
...Being a leader is like, for example, everyone is lying on the sofa, but the window is open and it's very cold. Someone has to go close it.
But since everyone is lying on the sofa and it's comfortable, no one wants to go. Because it's a huge hassle.
If one person has to stand up, get off the sofa, walk a few steps, and go close it, I think that's what a leader does in every situation for a team. That's all it is lol
Interviewer: That's a tough job, isn't it?
🐨RM: Depending on the situation, yes, really.
Interviewer: Because by standing up to close the window, you risk losing your comfortable spot on the sofa. That's an action that requires courage and confidence, isn't it?
🐨RM: So, basically, being a leader is really a hassle, but I couldn't let anyone else do it.
I thought, 'If someone has to do it, it should be me,' and I couldn't just watch someone else do it. If things didn't go according to my expectations, I might feel even more stressed. That's why, I think.
Also, sometimes when the members say, 'We know your efforts, we're really glad to have a leader like you,' all that stress just blows away. I think that's the beauty of a team.
I think everyone must have remembered that moment. It's a bit tacky, but let me post it!
(Words Yoongi wanted to send to Namjoon) 'You are the best leader'
🐱SG: Starting from the Billboard charts, suddenly everything had good results, but honestly, I don't think we could have made it this far without Namjoon.
🐰JK: I couldn't even imagine it!
🐿️JH: I really think it would have been impossible. A true leader.
🐥JM: There's no one who wouldn't acknowledge that.
🐱SG: Honestly, there's no benefit to playing the role of leader. The responsibility is heavy, and I think it's truly amazing that he's been doing this for 8 years.
🐨RM: I have many shortcomings, but I think I was able to continue being a leader precisely because the members filled those gaps, everyone.
🐻V: Then here we go. Ready, 1, 2, 3!
All: 'You are the best leader!'
🐨RM: Ah, I'll never forget this for the rest of my life. Truly.
Also, the You Quiz episode with Tae! I think these two are a perfect pair lol
MC: What kind of words do you usually say to the members?
🐨RM: Since I act as a bridge between the company and the members, I often have to say things the members don't want to hear. Like, 'I think it's time to get back to our daily routine,' or 'Come on, let's do something.'
MC: How about you, Taehyung? What do you say to the members?
🐻V: Well, when he says 'Let's do it,' I reply, 'Ah, that sounds tough.'
Regarding the leadership of 'BTS 2.0,' Namjoon also had various—well, Namjoon is always worrying—well, it seems he was worrying about various things, which can be seen from past live streams.
Because they are companions who have spent a long time together, I can really understand the need to shed the outer shells that have become a bit too small as they grow, and to change the nature of their relationship.
I thought that Namjoon's attitude of considering that as respect for the other person might also be fostering the members' independence.
The weight of being a 'leader' that Namjoon, the middle child, takes on in BTS.
Sometimes it stands out quite a bit, but at the same time, I feel relieved knowing that he has friends by his side who blow that away and are generous with their words whenever he needs them.
I really love that about BTS...!!
Namjoon and 'NORMAL'
Interviewer: What routines do you use to calm yourself down and switch off?
🐨RM: As you know, sometimes a language or just a single word can define your whole world.
I mean, I was obsessed with the word 'normal.' It was one of the best ways to try and escape from it.
'I have to be normal,' 'I have to be one of the group'—because my life is a bit unusual.
—But once I started obsessing over it... the more I obsessed, 'Oh, I want to be a normal person. I want to be one of the crowd,' the more I felt like that 'normal' was slipping further and further away from me.
So, I'm just trying to stop thinking about 'normal' lol
'I should switch off,' 'I should be a private person,' 'I should stay out of the spotlight'... I'm just trying to get away from that.
What I find mysterious while watching Namjoon is his inability to come to terms with his own uniqueness.
It feels like he is more concerned about 'the self that cannot do what others can' than 'the self that can do what others cannot.' I think the direction of self-consciousness and interests is something that rarely goes the way you want it to.
The reason I think so is that he often worries about some kind of social standard, like 'normal.' Things like driver's licenses, military service, and marriage are the same; I get the impression that he is more concerned about 'the self that is outside of that' rather than wanting to do those things.
Isn't that more pronounced after he's grown up a bit, rather than when he was young and edgy?
In EPIKASE, Yoongi revealed that Namjoon likes horoscopes and fortune-telling, and I feel like I understand that too.
There's a part of enjoying fitting yourself into a generalized class in things like that, so maybe he can experience 'normal' vicariously.
Tablo and Namjoon are apparently both Type A + ENFP + Virgo.
Yoongi, an ISTP, reveals his younger brother's hobby, saying, 'Even though he doesn't seem like the type to believe in that at all, he really (looks at horoscopes and Saju lol).'Unexpectedly maiden-like.
Paradoxically, it could be said that his life is so unusual that he has an interest in or longing for the social flow that normal people experience.
I personally interpret it as being typical of Namjoon that he doesn't just brush it off with 'Oh well' or 'I am who I am,' but keeps thinking in circles until he gets tired and wants to 'switch off for a bit.'
'Switch off' is a keyword that also appears in the lyrics of 'NORMAL,' but I don't take it to mean anything ominous; I interpret it as representing a pause, like wanting to take a break because you're getting dizzy from staying on a merry-go-round that won't stop.
He will turn the switch back on. I think that is the work that will continue until the last day of his life.
By the way, the reason I'm interested in that is probably because I'm the type who doesn't care that much about being 'normal' myself. Aren't geeks generally creatures that have strayed from the main path? (/ω＼)
Even though Namjoon has been living a life with quite unusual status—an IQ 148 global star, rapper, poet, and art lover—for a long time, the fact that he doesn't dull in a good way and keeps facing the discrepancies within himself without looking away, continuing to worry and get lost, really makes me think that this person is an artist.
The way he directs that energy is interesting, and I find myself watching over him constantly.
But I think 'trying not to obsess over being normal' is difficult.
Humans tend to do things even more when they are forbidden. To keep 'not doing X,' you have to keep 'X' in your head the whole time.
I think the best thing is to forget about 'X,' but I wonder what Namjoon will do. My curiosity is endless...!
I really love Namjoon's words.
I thought Namjoon was suited for podcast-style programs!
Well, Weverse Live is similar anyway lol
Because he can verbalize things quickly and speak in words that form coherent sentences, it's easy to follow his flow of thought.
While I think it's amazing how frank he is, offering everything up by saying, 'This is what I'm thinking about right now' (of course there are things he can't say, but emotionally it feels like 'everything'), that frankness is both terrifying and interesting, and I can't take my eyes off him.
It's early, but I'm looking forward to his next statement.
Of course, lyrics are fine too!?( ﾟДﾟ)
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もしこの記事が気に入ったり、役に立ったりしたら、コーヒー1杯奢ってください。やる気が出ます！( *´艸｀)