The world's most bizarre 'sitting blankly' contest.

Photo: CNN

According to CNN, last Sunday, the annual "Space-out" competition found the person best at sitting still for 90 minutes without falling asleep, checking their phone, or talking.

Throughout the competition, the organizers will monitor the participants' heart rates, while the audience votes for their top 10 favorites. The contestant with the most stable heart rate among the 10 will win.

The competition, organized by the Seoul city government, attracted over 4,000 applicants. The 117 selected contestants ranged in age from second-grade students to people in their 60s.

For the contestants, the competition is an opportunity to recover from the burnout and stress of working in one of the world's most academically demanding and success-oriented countries.

The competition was founded by visual artist Woopsyng. Photo: CNN

The founder of the "sitting blankly" contest is a visual artist who goes by the pseudonym Woopsyng after she suffered from severe burnout.

“I wondered why I was always anxious when I wasn’t doing anything,” she recalled, adding that it was then that she realized her anxiety stemmed from comparing herself to people with busy lives. “In reality, those people might also want to sit around and do nothing, just like me,” Woopsyng said.

"So, I created this competition. I thought it would be great if we could all sit quietly and relax together in the same place, at the same time."

Photo: CNN

The competition is also a form of performing art.

"Although the contestants were standing still inside the competition venue, the audience was constantly moving around."

Woopsyng said her goal was "to create a visual contrast between a group of people doing nothing and a group who are busy."

Many celebrities participated in the competition, notably short-track speed skater Kwak Yoon-gy, a two-time Olympic silver medalist.

Speed ​​skater Kwak Yoon-gy. Photo: CNN

"I've participated in the Olympics five times and never had a proper rest in 30 years of training. I heard I could relax my mind and rest at this competition, so I came here thinking, 'Oh, this is exactly what I need,'" the 34-year-old athlete said.

Freelance MC Kwon So-a, the winner of this year's competition in Seoul, shared: “Korea is a fiercely competitive country where people think that if they do nothing, they might fall behind,” said Kwon, 35. “I think everyone has their own pace of life, and sometimes we need to slow down.”

Freelance broadcaster Kwon So-a. Photo: CNN

Since its inception in 2014, the "sitting idly" contest has taken place in various cities around the world, including Beijing, Rotterdam, Taipei, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/cuoc-thi-ngoi-do-dan-doc-la-nhat-the-gioi-172240521235818129.htm