学进去

Lie down, but don’t be beaten down.

“Tang ping”, or “lie down”, has become a buzzword among young Chinese people recently. It is used to describe youngsters who give up all ambitions of achieving worldly success in life, and instead do the least to get by. Such people prefer to lie down, lower their desire for buying new things, and keep themselves far away from competition for fame and money.

Many say such people don’t want to work hard for a better life. Others say those who “lie down” decide to avoid the unreasonable fierce competition at school and work, looking for new ways of developing their career and leading a meaningful life.

It’s no good criticizing the young generation for “lying down” before finding out why they choose to do so.

The fierce competition for a good college, the tiring 996 work schedule（working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week）, and the skyrocketing house prices frustrate（使挫败）many young people. Some even believe no matter how hard they try, they will fail. In this case, why not lie down in the first place?

Instead of taking part in “involution”（内卷）, which gives people a burned-out feeling and makes individual efforts less worthwhile in involuntary （不自愿的）competitions, these young people would rather live a different life, focusing more on their personal development than success.

This trend of “lying down” requires attention but there is no need to panic. On the one hand, it serves as a warning to prevent the country from sliding into a low-desire society, as happened in Japan, where an aging population and a large number of young people who have lost their passion are destroying the economy. On the other hand, the phrase serves more as self-mockery（自嘲）, and thus serious criticism is not necessary. Young people also like to call themselves “corporate slaves”（社畜）though they mean no harm to the company. These fun terms help them find people alike and feel better.

Luckily, the government and more companies are seeking solutions to ease the pressure of the young. For instance, Bye-Dance Technology made new rules last November to discourage staff from working overtime. The company told its employees not to work beyond 7 pm. In recent years, the government is also putting growing efforts into lowering housing prices and providing public rental housing.

Success shouldn’t be measured by fame and money only. People from all walks of life deserve equal respect. For young people, what they really desire is being seen. Actually, Chinese young people are fulfilling their duties well. The average age of more than 67,000 scientists and engineers who devote themselves to China’s aerospace cause is only 36 years old. And many excel in ordinary jobs. They live on their own, support their families, and contribute to the society with their work. They may lie down for a while when they are tired, but they will never be beaten down.