Sunglasses

Don’t judge with tinted glasses on.

There’s a saying like that. It means don’t judge situations with preconceived notions or biases. Although it’s used like an old proverb, you can’t really find its origin even after scouring the internet. It probably dates back to when sunglasses first appeared in the country, maybe around the enlightenment era, but who knows for sure?

In San Francisco, going out without sunglasses was nearly impossible. Sure, you could do it, but you’d have to deal with a lot of frustration until sunset. It felt like the sun was closer there than in Korea, with its midday rays resembling Cyclops’ optic blast ☀️. Even with a slapdash application of sunscreen, your face felt like it was cracking like a turtle’s shell. The sunlight was so intense it made you squint involuntarily. If an actor ever needed to play a role that required a lot of frowning, I’d recommend living without sunglasses in San Francisco. Though they might end up being typecast as elderly characters afterward.

In San Francisco, regardless of age or gender, people always seemed to wear sunglasses—even on cloudy days. Indoors, when ordering coffee, it felt like the sun itself was ordering from behind the counter, as they kept their sunglasses on out of sheer habit 😎.

When I asked my French friend, with light brown hair and eyes, why they wore sunglasses, they said on sunny days, everything turns white, and you can’t see a thing without them. Of course, they might have exaggerated to avoid saying, ‘I wear them to look good.’ But from what I’ve seen, sunglasses might have been survival tools from the start.

So, a phrase like ‘Are you looking at this with tinted glasses?’ might not resonate with folks from California or Europe. They might even think it means being thoroughly prepared for any situation. Somewhere in those regions, there could be a boss scolding with,

‘Why are you handling things this way? Can’t you look at everything without tinted glasses?’

If a colleague working with you is Korean, they might internally resolve, ‘Alright, I’ll see things your way—through tinted glasses!’ That could be quite amusing. Anyway, since UV rays aren’t great for your eyes, I’d recommend always having a pair of sunglasses with you, even in Seoul 😎.