Ideals and Reality

My birthday is coming up again, and I’ll be another year older, one step closer to thirty. “At thirty, one stands” - time is becoming increasingly pressing.

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time alone at home, and with too much idle time on my hands, I’ve started to think randomly. Looking around, I see people coming and going, and even those with whom I had good relationships have become friends I haven’t contacted in a long time. Others have simply lost touch altogether. But this isn’t the most regrettable part - what’s most regrettable is that I’ve discovered our youthful ideals are being slowly eroded by reality, and we’re inevitably becoming the “worldly” people we once despised.

Sometimes, I’m grateful that I studied abroad in the United States - not because of the good environment, but because I don’t have to worry about the high housing prices back home. This year, China’s real estate market has been booming, making it even more difficult for post-85 and post-90 generations who have just entered the workforce to settle down and buy a home. However, this isn’t what truly bothers me - what really worries me is the series of consequences that high housing prices have led to: people who own homes have become proud and complacent as a result of their vested interests, leading to a prevalence of anti-intellectualism. Meanwhile, knowledgeable and capable individuals are becoming increasingly frustrated with their lives and are turning to extremes - this is a very dangerous signal.

Of course, similar things have happened countless times in China before, but this time, I’ve truly and deeply felt it. From my family and WeChat friends circle, I’ve felt this negative emotion for the first time - although it’s just a few scattered words, it’s still left me shocked.

I can understand why my fellow students feel helpless in the face of soaring housing prices. I can understand their struggles when faced with constantly rising per-square-meter prices and stagnant salaries, and the pressure from their families to get married and settle down as soon as possible. It’s in these daily struggles that ideals are being crushed by reality, bit by bit.

In this superficial society, it seems like hardly anyone has stopped to think about what happiness truly means. Everyone assumes that happiness means being able to afford the down payment on a ridiculously expensive house and owning a “snail shell” in a big city. However, even with a comfortable home, life remains the same - daily struggles, going to work every day, and paying off debts every month. I have to admit, reality can change us, and it does so imperceptibly, bit by bit. If our past vows and promises can’t withstand the temptation of a property ownership certificate, then what’s the point of those slogans about dedicating ourselves to science?

I just hope that, in the face of this harsh reality, we can still hold on to some of our original ideals, still find time to appreciate the small joys in life, and still calm our minds to read and think. I hope this hope won’t eventually become an unattainable luxury.