Younger generation find solace in a 鈥楤uddha-like鈥 attitude in daily life
Print Edition
Life鈥檚 tough for China鈥檚 younger generation. Finding jobs or spouses, and settling down in a sometimes tough and cruel world often lend itself to either giving up outright, or detached ironic posturing. Many of China鈥檚 youth of today have opted for the latter and refer to themselves as the 鈥淏uddha-like鈥 generation.
Zhang Min, 23, is one of this generation. He is just about to graduate and has been informed that he has failed yet another job interview 鈥 he has already sent out over 60 applications and attended 20 job fairs, but they all came to nothing, and he has no choice but to be philosophical.
鈥(Failure) does not bother me as much as before,鈥 Zhang says. 鈥淲hatever will be, will be.鈥
The phrase 鈥淏uddha-like youth鈥 recently went viral after a popular WeChat article used the term to describe China鈥檚 post-1990s generation.
鈥淗aving seen everything and keeping a casual and calm mindset toward life and career under mounting social pressure,鈥 the article wrote, 鈥渋t鈥檚 fine to have something or not. There is no need to pursue or win anything.鈥
Young Chinese, perhaps ironically, have been quick to label themselves as Buddha-like youth. A Buddha-like relationship is, apparently, one of forgiveness, never forcing your better half to make changes, and accepting things as they are.
A Buddha-like career means employees no longer concern themselves with promotion or office politics, but simply getting on with the job in hand instead.
But there has been a backlash against the Buddha-like mindset, particularly among the older generation. They argue that such an approach is one defined by pessimism, indolence and sloth, leading to a reduced work ethic, lack of self-motivation and apathetic demeanor.
鈥淎 rapidly developing China brings about many reforms and changes, which inevitably create challenges and great pressure to its younger generations, notably in career and life,鈥 says Tian Feng, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 鈥淚t鈥檚 understandable that such a self-mocking subculture is buzzing on China鈥檚 Internet and prevalent among youngsters.鈥
Far awway from her hometown in Anhui Province, Li Xiao, 22, works in an architectural design company in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province. Last year, she failed the graduate-study admission exam because she was unprepared due to lots of overtime in her job.
After taking this year鈥檚 exam, Li says she has little hope about the result. 鈥淚鈥檝e tried and participated, that is what counts,鈥 she says, sounding every inch a Buddha-like youth.
The difficulties faced by the post-1990s generation lead them to describe themselves in mocking tones as, 鈥減rematurely balding,鈥 鈥渕onks or nuns,鈥 鈥渄ivorcees,鈥 or the 鈥渕iddle-aged obese.鈥 Though they are nowhere near these things, they certainly feel like they are. Life has simply ground them down.
鈥淪aying 鈥業t鈥檚 OK,鈥 or 鈥楢ll right it doesn鈥檛 matter鈥 is just a disguise we put on in the face of the rigors of life,鈥 says Zhang Li, who works as a product manager in a Beijing-based Internet company.
She says the Buddha-like generation appear casual about minor matters but spare no efforts on things that really matter.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
