Chapter 44 won't change my appearance for you

For educated Beijing residents, 2004 looked like the first year of a new golden age.Although the country's per capita GDP in the previous year was only 1/30 of that of the United States, and the number of poor people has increased for the first time since the reform and opening up, but they have already become rich first, and it is said that they have begun to line up to enter the middle class.One of the signs that life is boiling is that the streets are as numerous as cockroaches with shiny new economy cars.In addition, the faces of the puppies, I think, should also be regarded as new evidence of the great changes of the times.In the dog-oriented community where I live, they snuggle up in the arms of young women, wear perfume, and wear sweet and cute little sleeveless sweaters, unaware that they are dressed like white-collar handsome men.

In a nutshell, I like it all.Many years ago, we believed that the 600 million people in China were all Shun Yao, and the government also believed that the people of Li had great potential to become saints. Therefore, they were empty of their bodies and showed great righteousness, making the country a mess.Now righteousness is still dawning, but it has already begun to "mean the villain to profit".According to Professor Milton Friedman's theory, the latter is the cornerstone of modern civilization. However, there are no coins without backs, except in the novels of Borges.The backside of the life of our middle-class reserve army, as far as my personal experience is concerned, is somewhat "dull in words and hideous in appearance".The few times I've had dinner with would-be middle-class people, it's been a hilarious and shocking experience for me.It's hard to believe that they're making the exact same kind of jokes over and over for hours.

According to foreign standards, an annual income of US$30,000 is the lowest line for the middle class, and US$60,000 is the average. The so-called middle class in my country is at best considered relatively well-off.But this insignificant comfort in a developing country can actually make people's life horizons so narrow.Not only that, but it can also make some faces that are quite smart, become humble and contented expressions from time to time. A friend of mine is far more interesting than them.When he received a call from a similar person, he said, no, recently I bought a large digital high-definition TV, so I can’t drink with you, and I have to go home early to watch TV.I quite like the sense of humor of this rich peasant friend.It's really not interesting to have a complacent Vietnamese meal with a few quasi-middle-class people in their 30s. It's better to watch "Super Girl" in high-definition.

Poet and critic Matthew Arnold criticized in the 19th century that the middle class turned away from "wiseness" and was the equivalent of the Philistines—the Philistines, enemies of Jonathan and King David in a biblical context. People represent complacency, vulgarity and money worship.This statement is similar to that of the novelists of the "New Yorker" school in the United States.Our quasi-middle class is still considered a cutting-edge group so far, with a little bit of fresh and restless momentum left, but in terms of taste, they are about to catch up with their foreign predecessors.I think both the mildest and the most vehement statements are that materialism has dominated their outlook on life.

According to experts such as Harvard University's Lawrence Harrison, sometimes culture is more important than institutions.Marquez wrote very vividly in "The only difference between liberals and conservatives now is that liberals go to mass at 5 o'clock, while conservatives go to mass at 8 o'clock." I don't like the prospect that any progress will become laborious. Sometimes I think that if the whole of New York is moved to Beijing, the happiness value of the wealthy class will be greatly increased; and if Bali is moved to Tanggu, the quasi-middle-class students will probably think that the world is perfect.This probably shows that the amount of money makes people very different.I like the idea of ​​moving Jiuzhaigou to Shichahai, but maybe they don't think it's enough.

I think the common sense of life that deserves respect is that it's great to mix in the upper class, but it's even better if you can maintain a lively interest and independent self.There is a shop in the Oriental Plaza in Beijing, and one of the glazed pendants sold is called "I will not change my appearance for you". I think anyone who has ever been young should think about this sentence. Let's talk about the utilitarian trend outside.