Welcome to the 2nd edition of Suipian, my new personal newsletter in which I share thoughts and resources that help me make sense of Chinese society and its relationship to the rest of the world.
Thanks for the reflections, Tabitha. On your paragraph on Hessler’s new book: I remember thinking when reading the book that having a “capacity for boredom” is not the same as having discipline. The former, after all, is also what leads people to take tedious and menial 体制内 jobs. It is also what makes people feel they have little personal stake in what they do. Neither helps if a country’s goal is to become more innovative and dynamic. Both are reasons why it is often depressing to observe young people coasting through life with so much unfulfilled potential.
Thanks for the reflections, Tabitha. On your paragraph on Hessler’s new book: I remember thinking when reading the book that having a “capacity for boredom” is not the same as having discipline. The former, after all, is also what leads people to take tedious and menial 体制内 jobs. It is also what makes people feel they have little personal stake in what they do. Neither helps if a country’s goal is to become more innovative and dynamic. Both are reasons why it is often depressing to observe young people coasting through life with so much unfulfilled potential.