Some people claim to prefer a life free from striving — calm, unhurried, drifting like clouds in a clear sky.
Looking at the world today, that’s nearly impossible unless you’re living off your parents.
Not just in China — even Australia, long celebrated as a place where you can lie flat and coast into a comfortable retirement, has seen ordinary people’s cost of living multiply several times over.
Want to eat well? You’re paying top dollar for organic vegetables or quality beef. Want a quiet house with a yard? That takes career investment and accumulated wealth. Even carving out an hour each day for a walk eats into your rest or work time — there’s a cost to calculate there too.
Everything beautiful that you love demands effort and competition. Nothing worth having arrives quietly on its own.