Set in the contemporary China context, This blogposts compares 躺平 to barebones_ffree, and then clarifies the fundamentals of involution vs 躺平, two popular but vague Chinese phrases open to interpretation and widespread misuse. Every writer on the subject has had to clarify them, otherwise they are pretty much meaningless.
- NY1: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/chinas-involuted-generation
- https://www.dw.com/zh/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E8%BA%BA%E5%B9%B3%E6%97%8F%E9%83%BD%E6%98%AF%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88%E6%83%B3%E7%9A%84/a-57814519
- bbc1: https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-57304453
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57348406
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-lying-flat-stress/2021/06/04/cef36902-c42f-11eb-89a4-b7ae22aa193e_story.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/03/world/asia/china-slackers-tangping.html
- https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210603-china-s-disenchanted-youth-lie-flat-to-cope-with-modern-life
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/china-lying-lie-flat-low-desire-life-work-15152540 is the first article I read. Target group is young professionals in their 20s to 30s. The bbc1 article says “中产阶级的年轻人”. (Other articles have different target groups. ) The same 躺平 actions and attitudes will, thanks to social media, gain currency at the _lower_ socioeconomic /strata/, but somewhat involuntary and under crushing force. That’s largely because of economic position. (Remember, micro-economics is all about personal choices.) In 10 years, I don’t know which target groups will be more associated with this phrase, but for the time being the most relevant group consists of highly educated, highly mobile and in-demand professionals in their 20s to 40s, basically the two generation after me. This group is more established, with more resources, so their 躺平 is less involuntary. more resignation than surrender.
處事態度具体内涵包括“不买房、不买车、不工作、维持最低生存标准，拒绝成为他人赚钱的机器和被剥削的奴隶”. I have omitted those other attitudes drastically different from me. Still, there’s too much to read. In this blogpost, I will pick a few points relevant to me.
— sucessE, successZ
躺平 and 摆烂/bai3lan4 are popular among Chinese graduates and young parents, but actually Applicable across age groups. They are comparable to the broad definitions of successE and related to successZ.
— ffree based on minimalistic spending of the young elite
A 27-year-old architect in Beijing said she started saving as a teenager to achieve financial freedom. Same as me.
“From September 2020, when I saw all my savings had reached 2 million (yuan) (US$300,000), I lay down…” Nana said she turned down a job that paid 20,000 yuan (US$3,000) per month.