When All Else Fails, Learn to Deceive Yourself

If you're backed into a corner, you sometimes have to learn to deceive yourself.

Korean media report that many young people, post-00s, choose flexible employment. British media say young people tend to start businesses, reflecting changes brought by the pandemic. American media note that today's youth are less traditional and conservative than before—they're leaving cities for rural areas, enjoying the freedom of flexible work, splitting time between farming and employment, which they consider very trendy.

But what do the actual figures tell us?

They can't find jobs.

Can't find a job? That's part of the pandemic's impact. So they take on odd jobs, calling it flexible employment with high flexibility; can't find a job? So they start a business, essentially hiring themselves; can't survive in the city? So they return to the countryside and seek their parents' financial support.

The first lesson of adulthood is learning to face life head-on. One key skill in doing so is managing expectations—which, bluntly put, is the spirit of Ah Q.