QA讨论：中国的“躺平”风潮是什么样的?

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Jean-Marie Valheur , political aficionado & former journalist
It’s one of those problems that really aren’t unique to China as much as they are a ‘sign of the times’ — the lying flat ‘movement’ is simply the Chinese version of Japan’s “hikikomori” or America’s “men going their own way”. Just a group of young men who… had enough of the rat race. And decided to opt out of it entirely.

这并不是中国独有的问题，而是一个“时代的标志”——躺平“运动”只是中国版的日本“隐居青年”或美国“男人走自己的路”。只是一群年轻人在受够了激烈的竞争之后，决定完全退出竞争的行为。
It happens in America, too. In Taiwan. In the European unx, really, anywhere. Housing prices are too damn high. Costs of living ever-increasing. Add to this rather the increasingly high demands of parents and potential spouses ‘demanding’ a certain type of lifestyle, a certain type of status… and you’re screwed. You have to be a certain height, you have to be physically fit, drive a nice car, have a nice degree. You have to make bank, you have to be able to travel frequently. You need to have kids, and you need to get them, too, into the best schools. So they may one day wear the same nice clothes, drive the same nice cars, impress the same materialistic girls and their greedy relatives…

这一现象在美国、台湾地区、欧盟也发生过。真的，它在任何地方都有可能出现。这是因为很多地方的房价实在是太高了，且生活成本不断增加。再加上父母和潜在配偶对某种生活方式、某种地位的要求越来越高，你就完蛋了。你必须要有一定的身高，身体健康，开一辆好车，有一个不错的学位。你必须能够赚钱，你必须能够经常出差。你需要有孩子，你也需要把他们送进最好的学校。以至于有一天他们可能穿上同样的好衣服，开同样的好车，给同样的物质女孩和他们贪婪的亲戚留下深刻的印象……
And you just, can’t. Anymore. You can’t always get the finest grades, always get the finest jobs. You cannot always look your best, always be your best. You’re exhausted. You can’t keep up with society, you can’t keep up with your parents. Your parents are only children. So are you. You have to take care of them, and their parents. And your wife’s parents. And her grandparents. You want to be the perfect son. The perfect grandson. The perfect… whatever-they-want-you-to-be. Need you to be. But how on earth do you find the time? Where do you find it? How do you manage it?

但是你却做不到。你不可能总是得到最好的成绩，最好的工作。你不可能总是展现出你最好的一面或你最好的自己，你疲惫不堪，你跟不上社会生活成本的增加，达成不了父母的要求。你的父母是独生子女，你也是。你必须照顾他们，还有他们的父母，还有你妻子的父母和她的祖父母。你想做个完美的儿子、完美的孙子、完美的…能够达成他们一切要求的人。但是你到底怎么做才行呢? 你在哪里达成这一目标呢? 你应该怎么做才可以呢?
Well chances are, you don’t. You can’t. You slowly but surely lose the interest, the drive, to compete. The overtime kills you. The whole rat race kills you. Now they want you to marry, too? Have at least two kids because the birth rate is too low? Give your wife the finest things, give your children the finest clothes, the nicest toys, and get them the best education money can buy? My goodness, the pressure is insane. And to fold under that pressure, to break down, or give up, is judged. Harshly. You have “man up”. Make your parents proud. Do the ‘right thing’. Always.
In ‘the olden days’ a man might have his first mental breakdown by the time he reached middle age. Now young men are burned out and depressed in their twenties already… and some of them just simply, give up. And no one, not the American, not the Japanese nor even the all-powerful Chinese government can really do a damn thing about it.

很大几率是，你不知道答案，你不能完成这一目标。你会慢慢失去竞争的兴趣和动力。长时间的加班正在消磨你的生命，而激烈的竞争正让你不能呼吸。现在他们又想让你结婚了吗? 因为出生率太低而生至少两个孩子? 你需要给你的妻子最好的东西，给你的孩子穿最好的衣服，玩最好的玩具，让他们接受最好的教育? 我的天，压力太大了。在这种压力下屈服，崩溃，或者放弃，都会受到严厉的评判。你要有“男人气概”，让你的父母感到骄傲。去做“正确的事情”，你总是这样被要求。
在“过去”，一个人可能在他到达中年的时候才会面临第一次精神崩溃。而现在的年轻人在二十多岁就已经疲惫不堪、情绪低落了，有些人干脆就放弃竞争了。没有什么人，无论是美国人还是日本人或者是中国人能真正对此做点什么。
Nick Ford , lives in Asia-Pacific
Oddly enough, the "lying flat" movement is a rejection of Chinese capitalist culture that sees young people forced to work 9am to 9pm 6 days a week to satisfy rapacious investors.
Having lived in China for the last three years, I'm familiar with this destructive work culture, and empathize with those that reject it.
It is part of a global wave of discontent amongst younger generations who believe their elders continue to exploit their labor and deprive them of opportunity whilst destroying the planet.
China's low cost labor has also created huge inefficiencies in business.
Leadership needs to learn how to work smarter not harder or for longer hours..
The collapse in family life and birth rates caused by workplace exploitation is an existential threat to China's future.

奇妙的是，“躺平”运动是对中国资本主义文化的一种排斥。中国的资本主义文化迫使年轻人们每周工作6天，每天从早9点工作到晚9点，以满足贪婪的投资者的要求。
我在中国生活了三年，所以我熟悉这种极具破坏性的工作文化，也理解那些拒绝这种文化的人。
这是全球年轻一代不满情绪的一部分，他们认为老一辈的人在破坏地球的同时还剥削着他们的劳动成果，剥夺他们的晋升机会。
中国具有低成本劳动力优势的同时也有着商业效率低下的问题。
企业的领导层需要学会如何让员工更有效率地工作，而不是让他们更努力或更长时间的工作。
因工作场所的剥削造成的家庭生活和新生儿出生率的崩溃对中国的未来构成了巨大的威胁。
Bill Williams, Social Researcher, Author, Sinologist.
Laying flat in China is not similar to those in the US.

中国的躺平风潮与美国的不一样。

Laying flat in China is a term meaning opting out of the competitive race.
Contrary to the anti-china media’s allegations, China is a capitalist country.
In China, like in any capitalist country, if you are able to take the stress; you stay. Otherwise, you leave or “laying flat.” The companies aren’t short of qualify candidate to fill the position.
On the other hand, recognise that each of us is created differently and as we get older, we will not be able to shoulder the same amount of stress.
Like in the US, if you cannot compete in Silicon Valley or New York, you find a job in New Jersey or North Carolina. The pay may be lower, but it’s not as demanding.

在中国，“躺平”指的是退出竞争。
与反华媒体的说法相反，中国跟任何一个资本主义国家一样。
在中国，就像在任何资本主义国家一样，如果你能承受压力，你就可以留在职场。否则，你就需要离开或者“躺平”。这些公司不缺合格的候选人来填补这个职位。
另一方面，要认识到我们每个人都是不同的，随着我们年龄的增长，我们将不能承受同样的压力。
就像在美国，如果你不能在硅谷或纽约竞争，你可以在新泽西州或北卡罗来纳州找到一份工作。那里的工资可能会低一些，但要求也没那么高。


In China, there are 1st tier futuristic cities where pay is higher, but the housing price is higher. If you couldn’t take the stress, live in a 2nd tier cities or 3rd tier cities. These cities offers respectable facilities as well as pay but demand much lower apartment rentals.
With roads being built, 5G availability, cleaner air and water, you can also change your career to do something else that you enjoy in the rural villages like transforming parent’s farm using green houses while employing robots, etc. More and more young people are doing just that.

在中国的那些一线城市，那里的工资更高，但房价也更高。如果你承受不了压力，那就住在二线或三线城市吧。这些城市提供让人满意的生活设施，以及工资，和比一线城市低得多的公寓租金。
随着道路的建设、5G的普及、变得更清洁的空气和水，你也可以改变你的职业，在农村做你喜欢的其他事情，比如使用温室改造父母的农场，同时使用机器人完成农业工作等等。越来越多的年轻人正在这样做。

I used to consul young people saying: if you can’t compete as a fighter pilot, be a chopper pilot; if you cannot compete as a chopper pilot; be a cargo plane pilot or even a pilot flying crop dusting plane.
These are respectable jobs. Jobs that are not liabilities or harmful to the society. There is absolutely no shame.
The key is to be realistic. Every job has challenges, find a job that commensurate with your stress level.
Life gets very sour only if you insist on the perks and cannot take the stress.
Hope this helps.
My obxtive: By disseminating the facts instead of beliefs and propaganda, we’ll make a peaceful world for your kids to live in.

我曾经和年轻人说过: 如果你不能成为一名战斗机飞行员，那就去做一名直升机飞行员; 如果你不能通过竞争成为一个直升机飞行员; 那就去成为一名货运飞机飞行员，甚至是一名农业喷洒飞机的飞行员。
这些都是体面的工作，不是什么没有责任感或对社会有害的工作。从事这一工作绝对没有什么可耻的。
关键是要脚踏实地。每一份工作都有挑战，找一份与你的压力承受水平相称的工作。
只有当你坚持享受福利而无法承受压力时，你的生活才会变得很糟糕。
希望这些对你有帮助。
我的目标: 通过传播事实，而不是信仰和宣传，为孩子们创造一个和平的世界。
Nicola B, studied at Working Out
Look up “ lying flat “ online- it is NOT merely about men opting out of society. It is young men AND WOMEN opting out of the rat race and deciding to no longer play the ‘game’ of society. It is NOT the same as MGTOW and other male movements.
Tang ping
Descxtion
Tang ping is a lifestyle choice and social protest movement in China by some young people who reject societal pressures on hard work or even overwork, and instead choose to "lie down flat and get over the beatings" via a low-desire, more indifferent attitude towards life. Wikipedia

在网上查了一下“躺平”这个词——它不仅仅是指男性选择退出社会，而是指年轻的男男女女选择退出激烈的竞争，决定不再玩社会的“游戏”。这和“男人走自己的路”以及其他男性运动不一样。
躺平的描述：
“躺平是中国一些年轻人的一种生活方式选择和社会抗议运动，他们拒绝繁重工作甚至过度工作带来的社会压力，而是选择以一种低欲望、更冷漠的生活态度来’平躺下来，熬过殴打‘。”---维基百科


Hanson Hsu, Kitchen Knife Enthusiast, Food Lover
Young people being fed up with increasing prices, low wages, soul-draining 996, and choosing to reject it all and accept being poor and choosing to be content with less. They view houses, cars, wealth, etc. as unattainable and, even when obtained, they will already be well into adulthood and have to spend it on their family, parents, kids, useless social drivel, etc. They are disillusioned with society and the costs needed for an idea life, and want to be able to live for themselves.
In case you didn’t know, 996 means working from 9am to 9pm for 6 days a week. It’s even more tedious than the USA’s 9 to 5s for 5 days a week. Being “worked to the bone” is almost literal in some cases.

年轻人受够了不断上涨的物价、低工资、消磨灵魂的生活，他们选择拒绝这一切，接受贫穷，选择满足于更少的物质获得。他们认为房子、汽车、财富等是可望而不可及的，即使得到了，他们也已经人到中年了，那时将不得不把这些钱花在他们的家庭、父母、孩子、无用的社交废话上。他们对社会和理想生活所需的成本感到失望，希望能够为自己而活。
想必你不知道，996意味着从早上9点工作到晚上9点，一周工作6天。这甚至比美国每周5天朝九晚五的生活还要乏味。在某些情况下，“工作到皮包骨”几乎是字面意思。
It affects male and female youths, not just males, although males are still expected to be the breadwinners and to make more money than their girlfriends or wives and to spend lavishly on their girlfriends or wives. There’s more financial pressure on men to make money throughout their lives. Females can just doll up to attract a rich man, and it’s relatively easy for a young girl of even average appearance to find a man who wants her due to the gender imbalance and how men are in general. Any rich middle aged dude whose wife nags and doesn’t sleep with him will want a young and lusty mistress. So most youths involved are male.
The movement, if you can call it one, consists of doing as little as possible to get by. Put in the minimum effort needed to live. Don’t have lofty aspirations or ambitions. If you never find a partner, so what, they’ll probably cheat on you and give you kids to worry about. Spend the time you have on the planet all for yourself, being hedonistic with what you have rather than worry about responsibilities or tomorrow.

它影响到男性和女性青年，而不仅仅是男性，尽管男性仍然被认为是养家糊口的人，需要比他们的女友或妻子挣更多的钱，并在女友或妻子身上大手笔地花钱。而男性在其一生中赚钱的压力也越来越大。女性打扮起来只是为了吸引有钱的男人，而且由于性别失衡和男性的普遍情况，对于一个长相平平的年轻女孩来说，找到一个想要她的男人相对容易。任何一个富有的中年男人，如果他的妻子唠唠叨叨，而且不跟他进行夫妻生活，他就会想要一个年轻而有活力的情妇。因此，大多数选择躺平的年轻人都是男性。
这个运动，如果你可以称之为一种运动的话，是由做尽可能少的事情来完成的。即为生活付出最少的努力，不要有远大的志向。如果你从来没有找到过伴侣，那又怎样，她们可能会欺骗你，让你为孩子是否是你的而忧心。“躺平”是让你把在这个星球上的时间都花在你自己身上，享受你所拥有的，而不是担心责任或明天。
Michael Brooks, An award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and author

I just had to talk with one of my employees.
I said, what you’re doing is above and beyond your call of duty. I’m grateful, and I respect that. From now on, I will treat you as my partner.
I also said, I’m totally OK with people who’re just doing their job. It’s your life. It’s your choice. You don’t want to push harder and go further. OK. Really no problem.
Now, straight to the point.
Tang Ping or Lying Flat “movement” is the Chinese version of the Great Resignation.
Or, let me put it this way. This is a minimalistic professional approach to work.
You gave up. You’re lying down, and very likely staring at your phone without even blxing. You have a job that asks of you the minimum effort and time imaginable.

我只是和我的一个员工谈了谈。
我说，你现在做的事超出了你的职责范围。我很感激，也很尊重。从现在开始，我会把你当作我的合作伙伴。
我还说，我完全可以接受那些只做自己工作的人。这是你的生活，这是你的选择。如果你不想更努力，走得更远。好的，这真的没有问题。
现在，直入主题。
躺平“运动”是中国版的大辞职。
或者，我这么说吧。这是一种极简的工作方式。
你放弃了。你躺在地上，很可能眼睛都不眨一下就盯着手机看。你的工作要求你付出最少的努力和时间。


Just enough to get by. That’s your professional motto.
Here’s the problem. Your professional mindset becomes your personal mindset. This is no longer a career choice, but a lifestyle choice.
You’re lying down, and you’re thinking about yourself as a modern-day revolutionary. This is your way of achieving a happy life-work balance? Well, good luck with that.
Everything and anything will be affected by your lying flat lifestyle. I’m talking about your relationships and friends. Is that a life worth living?
So, instead of lying flat, move your butt, and do something with your life!
It’s not easy. It’s not fair. There are no guarantees. You’re going to try, and fall, but keep walking tall.
Don't you want to take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone!

只要能勉强度日就行。这是你的职业座右铭。
问题就在这里。你的职业心态变成了你的个人心态。这不再是职业选择，而是生活方式的选择。
你躺在地上，把自己想象成一个现代革命者。这就是你实现快乐生活和工作平衡的方式吗? 好吧，祝你好运。
任何事情都会被你躺平的生活方式所影响。我说的是你的人际关系和朋友交往。这样的生活值得过吗?
所以，与其平躺着，不如动起来，做点什么吧!
这并不容易。这是不公平的，没有人能保证你会成功。你需要去尝试，你会跌倒，但你需要坚持走得更远。
你不想冒险一次吗? 或者你选择年华老去，满怀遗憾，孤独地等死!
Sunmory, lives in Seattle, WA (2009-present)
The “laying flat” in China means that lay back, be relaxed, accept who you are and what you have, rather than keep pursuing higher salaries, higher savings, a bigger house, a more luxury car, a perfect degree, and a higher position in company or society.
With the fast-speed development of the economy in China, there is a new rise of every industry in China, from the basic catering industry to the mysterious finance industry. Chinese are like sitting in the rocket to get a well-developed society, where everyone is competing for everything they want. In the end, the Chinese work so hard to reach the purpose, working overtime becomes a usual routine for people living in the metropolis, which is the so-called first-tier city in China. And the working the ass off spirit is so-called Neijuan in Chinese. In Neijuan mode, people start feeling so tired and exhausted. That is when the laying flat movement comes out, an opposite and just relaxed mode instead.
If you just want an easy and relaxing life, just lay flat. Everything will be fine ;)

在中国，“躺平”的意思是放松下来，接受你自己和你所拥有的，而不是一味追求更高的薪水、更多的储蓄、更大的房子、更豪华的车、一个完美的学位，以及在公司或社会中更高的地位。
随着中国经济的快速发展，从基础的餐饮行业到神秘的金融行业，每个行业都在重新崛起。中国人就像坐在火箭上一样快速前行，以得到一个发达的社会，每个人都在竞争他们想要的一切。最后，中国人为了达到目标而努力工作，加班成了生活在大城市，也就是中国所谓的一线城市的人们的日常生活。而这种埋头苦干的精神，在中文里就是所谓的“内卷”。在内卷模式下，人们开始感到疲惫不堪。这是为什么躺平运动出现了，事实上，它只是放松模式的一种代替。
如果你只是想要一种轻松、放松的生活方式，那就躺平吧，一切都会好的。;)
Anna Windsor · December 2
This is somewhat the reason why my husband and I did not have kids despite the societal and familial expectations and pressure. We just started living, just paid our debts, just started looking for a house but… the housing prices keeps rising almost by the minute, we are both almost 40, we’ve worked hard and we are simply tired of life. We feel kids will break us. At this point we just want to be… with nobody to report to, nobody to satisfy, nobody there to demand things from us… we just wanna be… just wanna live…

这就是为什么我和我丈夫至今没有要孩子的原因，尽管面临着社会和家庭的期望和压力。我们刚开始生活，刚还清债务，刚开始找房子，但是房价几乎每时每刻都在上涨，我们都快40岁了，我们努力工作着，我们只是厌倦了生活。我们觉得孩子的到来会让我们崩溃。在这一点上，我们想要的生活只是：没有人需要我们去汇报，没有人需要我们满足，没有人需要我们做什么，我们只想...简简单单的活下去。


Jenny Simpson · December 2
Yep, I’m a Millennial too. I manage to save a decent amount for retirement in a HCOL city, but if I had a child, well, I’d live in poverty as a senior. It’s an either / or situation. And a house, ha ha hah.
Most Boomers seem surprised to hear that we’re afraid of going into poverty if we dare have a child, but they also don’t acknowledge that their housing and college was far more affordable and often government subsidized. They pulled the ladder up behind them.

是的，我也是千禧一代。我设法为自己将来能在高生活成本的城市退休生活存了一笔可观的钱，但如果我有一个孩子，作为一个老年人，我会过着贫困的生活。这是一种非此即彼的情况。还有，我只有一个房子，哈哈。
大多数婴儿潮时期出生的人听到我们害怕如果我们生孩子就会陷入贫困，他们似乎很惊讶，但他们也不会去承认，他们那时期的住房和大学比我们现在要便宜得多，而且常常得到政府补贴。然后他们把梯子从自己身后拉上去了。
Steven Pollmann · December 3
“They pulled the ladder up behind them.”
Exactly this! I work with a lot of older guys that can't understand how hard it is for the next generation. They took advantage of the social programs their parents and grandparents left behind and when they saw they would have to share, they took it all away. The worst part is not one of them will take responsibility. It's never their fault. A lot blame the next generation in which case I say, “Well congratulations then! You raised a generation of losers!”

“他们把梯子从自己身后拉上去了。”
就是这个! 我和很多年长的人一起工作，他们无法理解这对下一代来说有多难。他们利用了父母和祖父母留下的社会项目，当他们意识到他们必须分享时，他们就把这一切都带走了。最糟糕的是他们没有人愿意承担责任，这似乎从来不是他们的错，他们当中很多人都在责怪下一代，如果听到这样的话，我会说:“那恭喜你了! 你养大了一代失败者!”
Yishan Wong · December 2
Everyone expects that a society with a surplus of disillusioned young men will turn violent, but it’s just easier to give up and do nothing. Engaging in crime would requiring getting off your ass.

每个人都认为，一个满是幻想破灭了的年轻人的社会会变得暴力，但事实上放弃一切，什么都不做会更容易。因为想要犯罪，就得赶紧行动。


Oleg Volkov · December 2
In the past, young men like that would go seek their fortune in some violent distant lands - conquer, rob, or perhaps just settle there.
But in the 21st century, war is just too horrifying, and any unsettled lands require super-advanced (and super-expensive) technology. You can’t settle underwater with just your trusty axe.

在过去，像这样的年轻人会到一些混乱的遥远的地方去寻找他们的财富——征服，抢劫，或者干脆在那里定居。
但在21世纪，战争太可怕了，在任何不稳定的地区战斗都需要超先进(和超昂贵)的武器。你不能只靠你信赖的斧头就能在水下生存。
Alex Eustis· December 2
I can very much relate to this. About ten years ago, A few years into my Ph.D. program, I one day reached into my jar of fucks to give, and found that it had become empty.
The result: burnout, depression. Bigtime. I would just “lie flat” in my room for days on end and play video games or watch TV. I was forced to withdraw from the program and just take several months to focus on my mental health.
The good news is, I eventually re-enrolled and finished the program, and my mental health is much better these days, but… I’m quite certain I’m never going back into academia. And it’s not as though I’ve overcome sloth and burnout completely, I just have ways certain ways of coping with them. Including, refusing to take on too many responsibilities in my life.

我对此非常感同身受。大约十年前，我攻读博士学位的前几年，有一天，我把手伸进名为“坏心情通风口”的罐子(下图)里，发现它已经空了。
结果是: 我感觉自己精疲力竭，抑郁也更加严重。我会连续几天“平躺”在房间里玩电子游戏或看电视。之后我被迫离开这个状态，花了几个月的时间使我的心理健康得以恢复。
好消息是，我最终摆脱了颓废堕落的状态，我的心理健康状况最近好了很多，但…我很确定我再也不会回到学术界了。这并不是说我已经完全克服了懒惰和倦怠，我只是有一些特定的方法来应对它们。这包括拒绝在生活中承担太多责任。

Eric Platt· December 3
Something similar happened to me in my PhD program. I was completely burnt out, my dad died from a heart attack, and my depression hit me really hard. I probably should have taken some time off, but knew that if I did I probably wouldn’t get back to it. Somehow I managed to finish it.

类似的事情也发生在我读博士的时候。当时的我感觉筋疲力尽，我的父亲死于心脏病，我的抑郁症对我的打击真的很巨大。当时我应该休息一段时间，但我知道，如果我休息了，我可能就再也不会回去继续攻读博士学位了。最终我设法把它读完了。
Jean-Marie Valheur· December 1
It really is a global trend, Clarence. And this has been witnessed before in a scientific experiment with mice, showing the effects of overpopulation in a large population… eventually, a group of mice labeled “the beautiful ones” by the scientists stopped reproducing altogether. They only cared about gathering food and hanging around, but they more or less just… cancelled their subscxtion to the gene pool. It’s fascinating how, when a country gets large enough, their populations sooner or later seem to mimick those mice.
Behavioral sink - Wikipedia

这真的是种全球性的潮流。这在之前的一项老鼠科学实验中就有过先例，实验表明，在一个庞大的种群中，成员数量过多会对成员个体造成影响……最终，一组被科学家们称为“美丽的老鼠”的老鼠完全停止了繁殖活动。它们只专注于采集食物和四处闲逛，可能它们只是放弃了对基因库的贡献。有趣的是，当一个国家变得足够大时，它的人口迟早会模仿这些老鼠的生活态度。
行为沉沦-维基百科 （链接）