I watched an interesting and incredibly sad video on Bai Lan (let it rot mentality) the other day and I felt it was very relevant to some views in the rest of the world and this subreddit. The trend is where some of the Chinese youth have voluntarily given up on pursuit of life goals because they are unattainable or not worth the effort. I thought it was incredible how similar the sentiments were to Western societies.
People who feel like way this do not feel it necessary, useful, or necessary to go to school, work, marry, or have children. They do not feel it necessary to contribute to society, and for good and valid reason.
I personally believe that the cause of this Bai Lan behavior is a subconscious, and sometimes conscious, expression of discontent to government and society for not properly rewarding people and their efforts, often due to exploitation. After all, who can blame them? It is natural for people to build resentment and not want to try for a person or group of people who does not try for them.
This theory of reciprocity goes a long way to explain the significant and rapid decline of especially the U.S. Labor market and workforce. The fact of the matter is that many in the government and private sector simply do not care about anyone other than themselves. They did not want to fix and address problems permanently, and often seek a temporary fix to make themselves look and feel good as soon as possible, all while shifting those ever-growing problems onto future generation. They wanted and took more than they gave, and here we are in the present day.
There is an epidemic of apathy. So what happens when organizational and governmental leaders, the people first and foremost responsible for building organizational culture, display or convey apathy? What happens is, past a point, everyone in that organization also begin to display apathy past a certain point. The rubber band can only be stretched so far until it snaps back.
Humans operate on reciprocity and an equal exchange of value is critical for healthy relationships, organizations, and societies. If there is not an equal exchange of value, people who take advantage of others become entitled, and people who are taken advantage of become resentful after a certain amount of time. That exploitation is like a rubber band that can only be stretched so far until it snaps. In the U.S., and many other countries, it is very clear that this is exactly what is occurring now, and the people who feel resentfulness have every right to feel so.
After all, who wants to go to school, work, marry, or bring children into a society that does not care about them and their children, and where almost all people at the top of all organizational structures simply sees people as a fuel that should be spent to reach their often egoistic goals? Why should people be motivated to do their best and try when they know they will not be rewarded properly for their efforts? Reciprocity is engrained in us, and people should be valued and treated with respect, otherwise society is simply not sustainable.