Almond by Won Pyung Sohn: Deep Psychological Truths That Hit Hard

Imagine going through life with a brain that can see emotion in a television with its sound level in a constant state of mute. You can see the characters, comprehend the plot, but the emotional impact? Nopes. That, my fellows, is life in the universe of Yunjae, hero of the book almond by Won-pyung Sohn.

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn, gaining popularity particularly after being mentioned by the South Korean Boy Band “BTS”, is a novel that dives deep into the life of a young boy with alexithymia, a condition that makes it difficult to identify and express emotions. Through this book, Sohn masterfully crafts a tale of identity, resilience, and human connection. But beyond the compelling narrative, Almond provides an insightful exploration into personality psychology, emotional intelligence, and the impact of support systems.

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Spoiler Alert…

Do you know why the name of the book is “Almond”?

The core theme of the book is the neuropsychological condition known as “Alexithymia”, also called emotional blindness, which is characterized by significant challenges in recognizing, expressing, feeling, and describing one’s emotions. Researchers often associate alexithymia with amygdala which is a small , “almond shaped” structure of a limbic system which is responsible for processing and regulating emotions, memories, and behavior. Studies show that alterations in the functioning or structure of amygdala is linked with alexithymia.

So, the author masterfully used the title “Almond” to symbolize the key theme of alexithymia in her book.

A Quick Glimpse at the Author Won-pyung Sohn

Won-pyung Sohn is a South Korean fiction author and feature-film producer with a talent for creating rich, deeply human stories with a cross-cultural following. Almond by Won-pyung Sohn has received a variety of literary awards and continues to cause a stir overseas for its powerful expression of emotion, or lack of emotion, respectively.

In this review, we’ll apply personality psychology to analyze Almond through its characterization of alexithymia, emotional intelligence, and networks of support. So, the geeks for psychology, this review is for you.

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn: The Plot of Emotional Awakening

Yunjae is born with a disorder, alexithymia, that keeps him from feeling and expressing emotion. With a warm and caring mother and grandmother, he lives a routine but emotionless life—until disaster strikes. Violence shatters him, and he must survive in a society that demands a reaction that comes naturally to everyone else, and he must face an uncertain life alone.

Yunjae’s journey turns when he encounters Gon, a mercurial, emotionally turbulent boy who is everything that Yunjae isn’t. In their unlikeliest of friendships, Almond delves into deep subjects of empathy, connectivity, and identity, and shows that feelings aren’t simply experienced—but acquired, too.

Interested in Personality Psychology? Check out my latest blog “Why Your Personality Test Might Be Lying to You. BEWARE of these 3 Traps!”

Major Themes: A Psychological Perspective

Empathy and its absence: How society treats individuals who don’t “feel” in a similar way

Adolescence and Identity: How developing with a disorder that separates you from your peers can form your identity

Survival and Adjustment: How Yunjae learns to “act” feelings in order to fit in

Yunjae’s Condition: The Science Behind Alexithymia

Alexithymia is a personality disorder in which an individual finds it challenging to verbalize, label, and make sense of feelings. Emotion expression is a significant constituent of interpersonal relationships in humans, and interpersonal relationships become a problem for individuals with alexithymia. According to psychologists, alexithymia can arise through genetic predispositions, early trauma, and neurological variation in a brain region “amygdala” which is often associated with processing emotions.

While Almond is a book, it accurately enough describes living with alexithymia. Yunjae’s lack of reading social cues and use of conditioned reflexes paint an actual picture of living in real life with such a disorder.

Key Characters and How They Could Impact Us

• Yunjae: A Study in Adjustment, learns to “fake it till he makes it.” Yunjae’s struggle with alexithymia is at its heart. Unlike most protagonists in a coming-of-age, he doesn’t have an inner monologue filled with inner conflict. Instead, he lives life in a matter-of-fact state, and thus, his encounters become both engrossing and heart-shattering.
• Gon: The contrast in direct opposites to Yunjae—raw emotion, intensity, and vulnerability. Gon, on the other hand, is a fit of emotion—rage, indignation, despair. His volcanic temperaments contrast with Yunjae’s calm, and a fascinating tension between them arises. 
• Dr. Shim: A mentor who helps navigate Yunjae through his inner life

Both the dynamics of Yunjae and Gon is a personality study in miniature, a demonstration of how two personality types can mold and shape one another.

Despite his affliction, Yunjae learns to empathize—not through conventional practice, but through observation and practice. What then is empathy: purely an emotion, or can it ever become an act of intelligence?

What Almond by Won Pyung Sohn Can Teach us

At its core, Almond by Won-pyung Sohn is a work about empathy. Gently, in its book, it raises a question:

Can a heartless person become capable of caring?

Yunjae’s journey informs us that even when a person doesn’t have a predisposition towards feelings, with practice and observation, one can become fluent in sympathy’s language.

Emotional intelligence plays a big role in such development. Unlike IQ, which doesn’t vary much, emotional intelligence can actually develop over a period of years. By observing and working with people, Yunjae learns about feelings—not necessarily through feeling them himself, but through observing how they impact others.

Second most important thing is the support system. No one can make it alone, and Almond describes the necessity for strong care networks. Gon and Yunjae’s mother and grandmother provide him with routine and strategies for living with his disorder. Nevertheless, it is through friendships with Gon and supporting characters that he is positively encouraged towards development.

In psychology, social support is seen as a strong source of emotional resilience. Healthy relationships, according to studies, promote mental well-being, allow one to cope with stress, and even extend life span. Almond reflects such reality in its nuanced portrayal of human relationships.

Since its release, Almond received widespread acclaim, particularly for its new and refreshing style of psychological fiction. Readers worldwide have flocked to follow Yunjae’s journey, and many have seen a part of themselves in him and his inner struggles.

The book’s cultural impact extends beyond its success in its literature. In South Korean society, in which emotionality is repressed in deference to social convention, Almond is an important catalyst for conversation about mental wellness and awareness of emotionality.

We all grappled with an incomprehensibility about our feelings at one point. Isn’t it?

If you haven’t yet read Almond by Won-pyung Sohn, count this as your invitation to grab a copy. And if you have, then I’d love to know your thoughts about it.

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