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#Post#: 13325--------------------------------------------------
Re: Simple living movements
DIR By: Zea_mays
Date: May 14, 2022, 1:29 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Elon Musk comes out against the Lying Flat movement:
--- Quote ---
> “I think there will be some very strong companies coming out
of China, there is just a lot of supertalented hardworking
people in China who strongly believe in manufacturing,” he
added.
>
> “They won’t just be burning the midnight oil, they will be
burning the 3am oil, they won’t even leave the factory type of
thing, whereas in America people are trying to avoid going to
work at all.”
--- End Quote ---
HTML https://finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/elon-musk-tesla-boss-praises-182248534.html
People are starting to understand Musk:
--- Quote ---
> It's in the bloodline, with his dad and all.
--- End Quote ---
Meanwhile, Sinophobic liberals still don't get it:
--- Quote ---
> China sounds great - he should move there - now.
--- End Quote ---
Response from people who aren't complete idiots:
--- Quote ---
> I wish. China regularly punishes its billionaires for doing
shit like he does. He wouldn’t be as big a problem in China
because the government probably would have forced him into
hiding and made him donate half of his wealth by now.
>
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> Can't wait till one of his tweets makes him "disappear" to a
reeducation camp
>
> I mean China doesn't care if you're a billionaire or not -
they keep disappearing
>
>
HTML https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferwang/2021/01/07/disappearing-billionaires-jack-ma-and-other-chinese-moguls-who-have-mysteriously-dropped-off-the-radar/
> He should move to China and see how far "iM jUsT a tRoLl"
tweeting gets him
--- End Quote ---
Combing the Lying Flat counterculture with the Chinese
government's autocratic and populist enforcement of the law
against corrupt billionaires seems to be exactly what the
Western "Antiwork" crowd advocates for? But I guess even the
smallest amount of Eurocentrism and democracy addiction is able
to blind them to the fact that China is far closer to achieving
an ideal society than any Western nation is capable of.
--- Quote ---
> Right?? That was my first thought. Chinese people are sick of
this shit too. Tang ping / laying flat all day
>
--- End Quote ---
#Post#: 13708--------------------------------------------------
Re: Simple living movements
DIR By: guest55
Date: May 28, 2022, 12:17 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The rise of ‘bai lan’: why China’s frustrated youth are ready to
‘let it rot’
--- Quote ---
> Phrase bai lan gains popularity as severe competition and
social expectations leave many young people despondent
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> Early this month China’s president Xi Jinping encouraged the
country’s youth to establish “great ideals” and incorporate
their personal goals into the “bigger picture” of the Chinese
nation and people. “‘China’s hope lies in youth,” he said in a
major speech.
>
> But on China’s internet, some young people say their WESTERN
“ideals” simply cannot be achieved and many of them have given
up on trying. Frustrated by the mounting uncertainties and lack
of economic opportunities, they are resorting to a new buzzword
– bai lan (摆烂, or let it rot in English) – to
capture their attitude towards life.
>
> The phrase, bai lan, which has its origin in NBA games, means
a voluntary retreat from pursuing certain goals because one
realises they are simply too difficult to achieve. In American
basketball, it often refers to a player’s deliberate loss of a
game in order to get a better draft pick.
>
> On Weibo, the bai lan-related topics have generated hundreds
of millions of reads and discussions since March. Netizens also
created different variations of the bai lan attitude.
“Properties in Shanghai too expensive? Fine, I’ll just rent all
my life, as I can’t afford it if I only earn a monthly salary
anyway,” one grumbled.
>
> In recent days, this phrase – and more previously ‘tang ping’
(lying flat, 躺平), which means rejecting gruelling
WESTERN competition for a low desire life – gained popularity as
severe competition and high social expectations prompted many
young Chinese to give up on hard work.
>
> But bai lan has a more worrying layer in the way it is being
used by young people in China: to actively embrace a
deteriorating situation, rather than trying to turn it around.
It is close to other Chinese phrases, for example ‘to smash a
cracked pot’ (破罐破摔) and ‘dead pigs
are not afraid of boiling water’
(死猪不怕开水烫).
--- End Quote ---
Or, if something's about to fall just push it and get it over
with? :)
--- Quote ---
> State media have taken note of this trend. “Why modern young
Chinese like to ‘bai lan’?” one recent article in official media
outlet asked. “In fact, this is as a result of negative auto
suggestion, repeatedly telling oneself I cannot make it (in the
Western worldview?)… And this kind of mentality often leads
people to adopt the ‘bai lan’ attitude.”
--- End Quote ---
Western civilization was never really designed to meet the needs
and desires of non-Westerners?
--- Quote ---
> Prof Mary Gallagher, director of the Centre for Chinese
Studies at the University of Michigan, says ‘bai lan’ is not
necessarily a sentiment unique to China. “It is a bit like the
‘slacker’ generation in America in the 1990s. And like ‘tang
ping’ last year, it is also a rejection against the
ultra-WESTERN-competitiveness of today’s Chinese society.”
--- End Quote ---
Entire article:
HTML https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/26/the-rise-of-bai-lan-why-chinas-frustrated-youth-are-ready-to-let-it-rot?utm_source=pocket-newtab
#Post#: 13733--------------------------------------------------
Re: Simple living movements
DIR By: guest55
Date: May 29, 2022, 1:37 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Burnout: The truth about overwork and what we can do about it |
DW Documentary
--- Quote ---
> Why do we work, and why are we working more than ever?
Overwork is damaging our lives and the planet. This film takes a
look at the past and also asks how we can change the future of
work.
>
> Why do we feel pressure to be busy, and where did this
pressure come from? Some answers lie with the influences of the
church, monarchies, 15th-16th Century colonialism and the effect
of industrialization on modern-day consumerism and work ethics.
Faced with the widespread problem of burnout, many modern
companies respond with "mindfulness" in the workplace. Unions
and the fight for labor justice are being replaced by therapies
and office yoga. And yet, people who are unemployed are worse
off than those with jobs — why?
>
> Predictions that digitalization would make people’s work
easier and that machines and artificial intelligence would
replace us as workers don’t seem to add up. After all, the
priority of automation is not to give people more freedom, but
to make production more efficient and therefore increase
profits.
>
> So how can we free ourselves from the vicious cycle of
overwork and consumerism, and learn to relax again?
>
> #documentary #dwdocumentary #burnout
--- End Quote ---
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q98aCklzCBE
See also:
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/true-left-vs-right/western-civilization-is-a-health-hazard/
BONUS:
Beats Antique - Rising Tide (feat. LYNX) [Blind Threshold]
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7FI1ITX6Po
Lyrics:
--- Quote ---
> You're an island of a girl
> Adrift in the world
> With the Rising Tide
> You know that the coming storm
> Is gonna be a crazy ride
> With you altars made of trash
> The aftermath
> Of disposable dreams
> You know that you were born
> For more than what machines provide
> I will write you a song
> That sounds like
> A faded photograph
> Of your favorite night
> Just a little something
> To remember me by
> You can sing along
> If you like it enough
> Play it on your phonograph
> It sounds kinda rough
> Just a little something
> To remember me by
> You're an ocean of a girl
> Surrounded a world
> With the blackening tide
> You know that the coming storm
> Is gonna be a crazy ride
> With your altars made of bones
> The aftermath
> Of disposable wings
> You know were born
> For more than what machines provide
> Machines provide
> I will write you a song
> That sounds like
> A faded photograph
> Of your favorite night
> Just a little something
> To remember me by
> You can sing along
> If you like it enough
> Play it on your phonograph
> It sounds kinda rough
> Just a little something
> To remember me by
> You can sing along
> If you like it enough
> Just a little something
> To remember me by
--- End Quote ---
#Post#: 15568--------------------------------------------------
This German village managed to go off grid and become
energy self-sufficient | DW News
DIR By: guest78
Date: September 10, 2022, 9:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
This German village managed to go off grid and become
energy self-sufficient | DW News
--- Quote ---
> Residents of Feldheim, a village south of Berlin, have managed
to produce their own energy from wind, sun and
agricultural waste. They are now paying around a
third of what everyone else in Germany pays for
power. Their solution has become a role model for
communities around the world. Here’s how they achieved the
Feldheim Energy Miracle – and what others can learn from their
success.
--- End Quote ---
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE0-ki-CBfs
#Post#: 15941--------------------------------------------------
Re: Simple living movements
DIR By: 90sRetroFan
Date: October 2, 2022, 6:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
HTML https://finance.yahoo.com/news/young-chinese-love-frugal-living-113000576.html
--- Quote ---
> On Douban, a Chinese website that provides information related
to current events, music, and more, young Chinese are flocking
to groups that offer money-saving tips. One group, named “Crazy
Money Savers,” which has over 600,000 subscribers, encourages
members to shun takeout and bubble tea, and advises them to
delete popular e-commerce apps like Alibaba and Pinduoduo.
>
> In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a new economic
strategy emphasizing domestic consumption and production to
shift the Chinese economy into its next stage of development.
But in recent years, many young Chinese—like those who joined
Douban’s “Crazy Money Savers”—have begun saving, scrimping, and
turning to social media influencers for advice on how to live
frugally, a lifestyle directly in conflict with the government’s
ambitions.
> ...
> Now, Beijing’s economic planners, who are resting their hopes
on growing consumption to fuel China’s economy, are trying to
reverse the newly frugal lifestyles of many young Chinese
--- End Quote ---
This is the resurgent blood memory of pre-modern China vs
Eurocentrist Xi's "New China". We of course support the former.
--- Quote ---
> In 2020, a clear trend began emerging across Chinese social
media: the proliferation of so-called “low desire” and “low
consumption” money-saving groups. Douban users created groups
like “Stingy Men’s Federation” and “Stingy Women’s Federation.”
--- End Quote ---
:)
--- Quote ---
> The recent events shattered Vera’s confidence in the
authorities and led her to question China’s economic future for
the first time. “I always thought I’d want to stay in China and
buy a home. Now I’m really not sure,” she said.
> ...
> China’s youth unemployment rate soared to nearly 20% in July.
The country’s general slowdown and government crackdown on tech
has led to pay cuts and mass layoffs.
--- End Quote ---
Emigrate ASAP! Pre-modern China will only be fully restored when
the population falls to pre-modern numbers:
HTML https://trueleft.createaforum.com/issues/population-and-demographics/msg6837/#msg6837
Continuing:
--- Quote ---
> As young Chinese look to save money, the government is pushing
them to spend more.
> ...
> Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in a Wednesday speech that the
government will do “whatever we can to expand effective
investment and promote consumption” to deal with the weak
demand.
--- End Quote ---
The correct response to reduced demand is reducing labour
(whether in the short-term by cutting working hours or in the
long-term by reducing population), not promoting consumption.
#Post#: 18155--------------------------------------------------
Re: Simple living movements
DIR By: SimpleLiving
Date: February 26, 2023, 3:45 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Why the Simple Life Is Not Just Beautiful, It’s Necessary
--- Quote ---
> Breaking down a very old idea that remains true to this day.
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> The good life is the simple life. Among philosophical ideas
about how we should live, this one is a hardy perennial; from
Socrates to Thoreau, from the Buddha to Wendell Berry, thinkers
have been peddling it for more than two millennia. And it still
has plenty of adherents. Magazines such as Real Simple call out
to us from the supermarket checkout; Oprah Winfrey regularly
interviews fans of simple living such as Jack Kornfield, a
teacher of Buddhist mindfulness; the Slow Movement, which
advocates a return to pre-industrial basics, attracts followers
across continents.
>
> Through much of human history, frugal simplicity was not a
choice but a necessity – and since necessary, it was also deemed
a moral virtue. But with the advent of industrial capitalism and
a consumer society, a system arose that was committed to
relentless growth, and with it grew a population (aka ‘the
market’) that was enabled and encouraged to buy lots of stuff
that, by traditional standards, was surplus to requirements. As
a result, there’s a disconnect between the traditional values we
have inherited and the consumerist imperatives instilled in us
by contemporary culture.
>
> In pre-modern times, the discrepancy between what the
philosophers advised and how people lived was not so great.
Wealth provided security, but even for the rich wealth was
flimsy protection against misfortunes such as war, famine,
disease, injustice and the disfavour of tyrants. The Stoic
philosopher Seneca, one of the richest men in Rome, still ended
up being sentenced to death by Nero. As for the vast majority –
slaves, serfs, peasants and labourers – there was virtually no
prospect of accumulating even modest wealth.
>
> Before the advent of machine-based agriculture, representative
democracy, civil rights, antibiotics and aspirin, just making it
through a long life without too much suffering counted as doing
pretty well. Today, though, at least in prosperous societies,
people want and expect (and can usually have) a good deal more.
Living simply now strikes many people as simply boring.
>
> Yet there seems to be growing interest, especially among
millennials, in rediscovering the benefits of simple living.
Some of this might reflect a kind of nostalgia for the
pre-industrial or pre-consumerist world, and also sympathy for
the moral argument that says that living in a simple manner
makes you a better person, by building desirable traits such as
frugality, resilience and independence – or a happier person, by
promoting peace of mind and good health, and keeping you close
to nature.
>
> These are plausible arguments. Yet in spite of the official
respect their teachings command, the sages have proved
remarkably unpersuasive. Millions of us continue to rush around
getting and spending, buying lottery tickets, working long
hours, racking up debt, and striving 24/7 to climb the greasy
pole. Why is this?
>
> One obvious answer is good old-fashioned hypocrisy. We applaud
the frugal philosophy while ignoring its precepts in our
day-to-day lives. We praise the simple lifestyle of, say, Pope
Francis, seeing it as a sign of his moral integrity, while also
hoping for and cheering on economic growth driven, in large
part, by a demand for bigger houses, fancier cars and other
luxury goods.
>
> But the problem isn’t just that our practice conflicts with
our professed beliefs. Our thinking about simplicity and luxury,
frugality and extravagance, is fundamentally inconsistent. We
condemn extravagance that is wasteful or tasteless and yet we
tout monuments of past extravagance, such as the Forbidden City
in Beijing or the palace at Versailles, as highly admirable. The
truth is that much of what we call ‘culture’ is fuelled by forms
of extravagance.
>
> Somewhat paradoxically, then, the case for living simply was
most persuasive when most people had little choice but to live
that way. The traditional arguments for simple living in effect
rationalise a necessity. But the same arguments have less
purchase when the life of frugal simplicity is a choice, one way
of living among many. Then the philosophy of frugality becomes a
hard sell.
>
> That might be about to change, under the influence of two
factors: economics and environmentalism. When recession strikes,
as it has done recently (revealing inherent instabilities in an
economic system committed to unending growth) millions of people
suddenly find themselves in circumstances where frugality once
again becomes a necessity, and the value of its associated
virtues is rediscovered.
>
> In societies such as the United States, we are currently
witnessing a tendency for capitalism to stretch the distance
between the ‘have lots’ and the ‘have nots.’ These growing
inequalities invite a fresh critique of extravagance and waste.
When so many people live below the poverty line, there is
something unseemly about in-your-face displays of opulence and
luxury. Moreover, the lopsided distribution of wealth also
represents a lost opportunity. According to Epicurus and the
other sages of simplicity, one can live perfectly well, provided
certain basic needs are satisfied – a view endorsed in modern
times by the psychologist Abraham Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs.’
If correct, it’s an argument for using surplus wealth to ensure
that everyone has basics such as food, housing, healthcare,
education, utilities and public transport – at low cost, rather
than allowing it to be funnelled into a few private pockets.
>
> However wise the sages, it would not have occurred to Socrates
or Epicurus to argue for the simple life in terms of
environmentalism. Two centuries of industrialisation, population
growth and frenzied economic activity has bequeathed us smog;
polluted lakes, rivers and oceans; toxic waste; soil erosion;
deforestation; extinction of plant and animal species, and
global warming. The philosophy of frugal simplicity expresses
values and advocates a lifestyle that might be our best hope for
reversing these trends and preserving our planet’s fragile
ecosystems.
>
> Many people are still unconvinced by this. But if our current
methods of making, getting, spending and discarding prove
unsustainable, then there could come a time – and it might come
quite soon – when we are forced towards simplicity. In which
case, a venerable tradition will turn out to contain the
philosophy of the future.
--- End Quote ---
HTML https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-the-simple-life-is-not-just-beautiful-it-s-necessary?utm_source=pocket-newtab
The last sentence in bold contents have all been brought to you
by Western Civilization. No other civilizations in the history
of this planet are as responsible for those negative and violent
manifestations of "growth" as is western civilization. Much of
it could not have been accomplished without western colonialism
either...
#Post#: 19369--------------------------------------------------
Re: This German village managed to go off grid and become
energy self-sufficient | DW News
DIR By: christianbethel
Date: May 9, 2023, 6:25 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
They probably have no use for Western things like the Internet -
good for them!
#Post#: 20532--------------------------------------------------
Re: Simple living movements
DIR By: guest98
Date: June 20, 2023, 3:50 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
HTML https://www.psypost.org/2023/06/young-adults-who-embrace-lying-flatism-also-tend-to-see-romantic-relationships-as-unnecessary-for-happiness-165852
Young adults who embrace “lying flatism” also tend to see
romantic relationships as unnecessary for happiness
--- Quote ---
>
> New research published in BMC Psychology sheds light on the
“lying flat” lifestyle movement and its relationship to
attitudes towards being single. The findings indicate that young
adults who have a positive view of the lifestyle, which
emphasizes relaxation and avoiding excessive work or societal
pressure, also believe that they can find happiness through
various sources other than romantic relationships. The results
suggest that there might be a growing trend among young people
to choose the single lifestyle in the future.
>
> Lying flatism is a trending philosophy that has emerged in
China and is practiced by young adults who choose to live a
minimalist lifestyle and reject the pressures of society. Lying
flatists refuse to participate in consumerist lifestyles, such
as pursuing high-paying jobs, purchasing material possessions,
getting married, or having children. They believe that personal
efforts are no longer effective in improving their lives due to
structural and societal factors.
>
> Researchers became interested in studying lying flatism and
its relationship with attitudes toward singlehood because
singlehood has become a favorable lifestyle choice worldwide,
particularly among young adults.
>
> “Moreover, a concept known as ‘lying flatism’ originating from
mainland China, has begun to gain traction among young people in
Malaysia.
>
> “Compared to their male counterparts, female young adults
exhibited fewer stereotypes towards single people, had a lower
fear of being single, held stronger beliefs in achieving
happiness without a romantic relationship, and displayed a more
positive attitude towards singlehood,” he explained. “These
findings indicate that young women are more inclined to embrace
being single.”
>
>
--- End Quote ---
#Post#: 20544--------------------------------------------------
Re: Simple living movements
DIR By: SirGalahad
Date: June 20, 2023, 5:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
This is the correct way to view romantic relationships. The
people who responded this way at least take relationships a
thousand times more seriously than those who go on an endless
goose chase for a romantic partner and eventually settle because
they’re under the assumption that everyone needs a romantic
partner at a certain age. Nothing we desire will make us truly
content forever. The nature of Yahweh’s creation sets us up to
chase after desires, and once we’ve attained what we desire,
that thing eventually becomes mundane and no longer excites our
brains on a chemical level, leaving us to chase after the next
thing that we think we lack. People who think that getting into
a relationship will finally make them happy and content with
their lives, are setting themselves up for disappointment. And
if they want to learn how to REALLY get the contentment or
happiness they’re searching for, they should start here instead:
HTML https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/KN/Dhp/
I suspect that a good chunk of the people in this survey are
themselves Buddhist or at least sympathetic to Buddhism
#Post#: 20550--------------------------------------------------
Re: Simple living movements
DIR By: antihellenistic
Date: June 20, 2023, 8:33 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: m94r link ---
>
>
HTML https://www.psypost.org/2023/06/young-adults-who-embrace-lying-flatism-also-tend-to-see-romantic-relationships-as-unnecessary-for-happiness-165852
>
> Young adults who embrace “lying flatism” also tend to see
romantic relationships as unnecessary for happiness
>
> [quote]
> New research published in BMC Psychology sheds light on the
“lying flat” lifestyle movement and its relationship to
attitudes towards being single. The findings indicate that young
adults who have a positive view of the lifestyle, which
emphasizes relaxation and avoiding excessive work or societal
pressure, also believe that they can find happiness through
various sources other than romantic relationships. The results
suggest that there might be a growing trend among young people
to choose the single lifestyle in the future.
>
> Lying flatism is a trending philosophy that has emerged in
China and is practiced by young adults who choose to live a
minimalist lifestyle and reject the pressures of society. Lying
flatists refuse to participate in consumerist lifestyles, such
as pursuing high-paying jobs, purchasing material possessions,
getting married, or having children. They believe that personal
efforts are no longer effective in improving their lives due to
structural and societal factors.
>
> Researchers became interested in studying lying flatism and
its relationship with attitudes toward singlehood because
singlehood has become a favorable lifestyle choice worldwide,
particularly among young adults.
>
> “Moreover, a concept known as ‘lying flatism’ originating from
mainland China, has begun to gain traction among young people in
Malaysia.
>
> “Compared to their male counterparts, female young adults
exhibited fewer stereotypes towards single people, had a lower
fear of being single, held stronger beliefs in achieving
happiness without a romantic relationship, and displayed a more
positive attitude towards singlehood,” he explained. “These
findings indicate that young women are more inclined to embrace
being single.”
>
>
--- End Quote ---
[/quote]
This article represents me. So, I'm not alone. Thank you for
confirming my thoughts
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