Heuton Letter's Story

Hello, this is the 172nd Heuton Letter. With the chilly winds of year-end blowing, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on Heuton.

To be precise, I'll be looking back on the journey of the Heuton Letter. Let's dive in.

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I've loved reading books since high school. 

I'm not sure why. Maybe I enjoyed adding depth to my shallow thoughts, found it fun to understand the world better, craved a bit of intellectual vanity, or perhaps I just didn’t feel like studying.

The same went for college. I was the kind of student who pondered a lot about how to live my life well, and sought lots of books and deep conversations with like-minded friends, to find the answer.

However, starting from the first semester of my freshman year, I became quite disillusioned with the university system and spent my entire college life as a sort of a misfit.

Just because everyone else was doing something didn’t mean I should follow along blindly. Instead, I pondered what was right for me. (Probably just a rebellious streak.)

Anyway, living independently has always been crucial to me, and maybe that’s when Heuton started to sprout in my heart.

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Having a lot of random thoughts meant I wrote a lot. When thoughts stay just thoughts and inputs remain as mere inputs, they eventually fade away, which felt like such a waste.

The biggest benefit of writing is that it grabs those hazy thoughts and makes them clear.

It doesn’t matter if you’re good at writing or not. The act of pouring your thoughts into written form is what matters.

The more you transfer your thoughts onto paper and read good writing, the more your writing skills naturally improve.

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I also remember winning a small writing contest. I can’t recall the specifics, but I do remember the title: <A Very Personal Yet Very Common Story>.

I believe that personal and honest stories resonate more deeply with readers than broad, theoretical discussions. I’ve been thinking this way almost a decade now, but whenever I say something like "The most personal is the most creative," people ask if I’m imitating Bong Joon-ho. Yes, you have to be famous after all.

How is started

I used to have a habit of meticulously taking notes on the books I read, but one day I suddenly felt it was a waste to keep them to myself.

Around the time I was a junior or senior, newsletters were getting popular in Korea.

Having absolutely no interest in studying or job-seeking, I started a newsletter with the concept of excerpting the books I read and serving them up bite by bite. I called it the "Book Slice Letter." That was probably around 2020.

At first, I nagged my friends to read it and got them to subscribe almost forcefully. Then those friends told their friends, and it kept going until the proportion of people who I've never met started becoming the majority of the subscribers list.

One day, I received a reply from an unknown email address. It was from a subscriber* who said they loved my writing and wanted to meet up.
*I usually use both terms 'users' and 'subscribers', but for this letter, I'll stick with 'subscribers.'

I was incredibly grateful that someone appreciated the effort I put into the letter. But since it was the first time ever that someone has asked me to meet, I worried they the person might be some kind of a weird (or dangerous) one. (I still need my kidneys!)

However, thinking it would be an interesting experience, I went ahead and set up a meeting. A few days later, when we met and talked, I realized he was nothing but a fantastic guy. Now, he is a good friend of mine.

My kidneys are safe, by the way.

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After realizing that meeting subscribers was a rewarding experience, I’ve met almost everyone who wanted to meet me. Moreover, in reverse, I've asked users who use the Heuton app often to meet me.

I’ve probably met at least 50 people by now—both one-on-one and in group like book clubs. You’d think there’d be at least one troll among them, but surprisingly, there wasn’t (maybe that troll was me?).

Everyone I’ve met is thoughtful and has a lot to learn from. A handful of them have become cherished friends that I still keep in touch with.

The so-and-so 'rule' holds true until a counterexample appears. Based on my experiences so far, I've inductively formed the rule that "people who like Heuton are thoughtful and mature individuals." It seems to hold true with high probability.

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Like this, people who love Heuton became part of my personal relationships. It's been a huge reward for me.

Anyway, I started the newsletter four years ago because I wanted to spark people’s thoughts, or more precisely, share the stimulation I received.

But no matter how much good writing you read, if you don’t develop your own thinking skills and establish your own values, it’s all for nothing.

So not long after, I created an app where subscribers could "write their own thoughts, experiences, and answers." That somehow evolved into the Heuton app you see today.

Conclusion

I truly believe it’s essential for each person to develop the ability to think deeply and act independently. As I mentioned in the past letter, just because others say A doesn’t mean you should follow A blindly.

Having no internal standards and getting swayed by external opinions is irresponsible to yourself. I’ve seen many people make hasty decisions without contemplating what makes them unique and regret it years later.

Living a busy life is great, and I myself hustle every day, sometimes getting so caught up in immediate tasks that I lose sight of myself.

But still, taking moments to step back and focus on yourself is absolutely necessary.

I hope Heuton serves as that kind of guide. Whether it’s answering daily questions in the Heuton app or reading the weekly Heuton Letter, I hope you take even a brief moment to dive deep into your thoughts.

Also, I’d love for you to not just passively receive what I share but to view it from your own perspective as well.

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Woah, the time of past midnight has made me quite sentimental. In the next letter, I’ll bring you a much more valuable one.

Thanks!