The objective of this paper is to explore the identification of occupational aptitude throughout the life cycle by integrating Western occupational theories with the innate occupational aptitude determined by the four pillars of destiny in Myeongri. A...
The objective of this paper is to explore the identification of occupational aptitude throughout the life cycle by integrating Western occupational theories with the innate occupational aptitude determined by the four pillars of destiny in Myeongri. A literature review and analysis of related studies were conducted as the research methodology. This study adopts a perspective on occupational aptitude that combines the concept of predestination in Myeongri, which embodies determinism, with the Western theory of free will that suggests that "things can be developed" through human efforts.
Occupations can be considered as the "all-encompassing art" that brings humans a range of emotions throughout their lives, including pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy. Finding an occupation that aligns with one's aptitude and pursuing a fulfilling life in all aspects of the job can lead to happiness. As the wealth gap and disparity between ruling and controlled classes grew, interest in occupations increased. As a result, career counseling theory and occupational ethics developed in Western society, leading to a significant increase in the number of occupational types. In 1975, the International Labor Organization reported over 200,000 types of occupations, and the Korean Occupational Dictionary 2020 lists 16,891 job types.
Throughout history, different cultures have sought to identify occupational aptitudes through various methods. For example, during China's Jin Dynasty, Gwak Bak used the four pillars of destiny to identify aptitudes for occupations such as monk, bureaucrat, royal court maid, and soldier. In the Song Dynasty, Seo Ja-pyeong analyzed the heavenly stems and earthly branches to determine business and managerial aptitudes, while Seo Dae-seung, Man Min-young, and Shim Hyo-cheom focused on the Geokguk. In the Qing Dynasty, Im Cheol-cho and Wi Cheon-ri employed the principles of Zhonghua and Yong-shin, respectively, to identify occupational aptitudes. Today, Myeongri considers various factors, such as ganzi, Eumyangohang, and Geuggukyongsin, to determine one's occupational aptitude. Recently, there has been an increase in research combining the theory of occupational aptitudes in the four pillars of destiny with Western psychology.
Consequently, the main aim of this study is to explore the Western theory of occupational aptitude, which includes Holland's career choice theory, Super's five stages of career development, Roe's parent-child development theory, and Jung's psychology. Jung's work in 1921 proposed eight psychological types based on extroversion, introversion, sensation, intuition, thinking, and feeling. Later, Ban Jadan, a Chinese-born psychiatrist, applied Western psychoanalytic psychology to analyze the ten heavenly stems and eight earthly branches in Myeongri in the 1930s. The advantage of identifying occupational aptitudes based on Myeongri lies in its ability to analyze personality traits and genetic correlations with ancestors or parents based solely on one's birth date and time. The occupational aptitude development strategy in this study is based on the "Tuan" and "Xiang" of the 64 hexagrams in the Book of Changes, which apply suitable hexagrams for establishing occupational aptitude identity across the life cycle. The developmental strategy is based on three criteria: occupational aptitude development, occupation selection, and occupational activities. The life cycle is divided into four stages: infancy up to 12 years old for recognition and growth, adolescence from 13 to 29 for recognition and specification, middle age from 30 to 64 for selecting and implementing occupations, and old age after 65 for re-selecting occupations and rest in life.
Traditionally, individuals have chosen their careers with the aim of achieving a fulfilling social life. Previous research on occupational aptitude in Myeong-ri has mainly focused on identifying innate aptitude types. In contrast, this study aims to explore "how to establish strategies for developing occupational aptitude" by integrating both Eastern and Western occupational aptitude type theory and life cycle development theory. By recognizing indicators of career choice and developing skills required for jobs in a planned and long-term manner, individuals can increase their likelihood of selecting a job that suits their aptitude. However, it is important to acknowledge that this study's approach to developing occupational aptitude is not an absolute way, as unforeseen social phenomena and new challenges can arise. It is our aspiration that this research, in conjunction with others, can contribute to creating a happier society.