The philosophy of ‘lying flat’ – the greatest irony for the CCP | Lam Hoi

I mentioned this in another thread and thought that I would make a thread about.

There is a new movement in China called "Lying Flat" which advocates for lying down instead of working hard. More and more Chinese youth appear to be embracing the movement and rejecting the fierce competition found in Chinese society . They want no part of the "Neijuan" which is the word used to describe the hyper-competitive lifestyle in China. Neijuan goes hand in hand with what is known as the "996 culture", which has people working 12 hour days for six days a week. "Only by lying down can humans become the measure of all things," is the basic premise of the Lying Flat movement. Lying Flat has expanded to also include the cutting back on spending, not giving in to their desires and saying no to hard work to escape the low reward for long work hours and the fierce competition between colleagues.

I wonder if this will impede China's fast rise to the top of the world order or if they will be able to squash this movement before it takes a strong foothold amongst their labor force?

"Since there has never been an ideological trend exalting human subjectivity in our land, I shall create one for myself. Lying down is my wise man's movement. Only by lying down can humans become the measure of all things," the anonymous author of the "Lying Flat Manifesto" wrote.

The movement gained momentum on the Douban social media site (akin to the Chinese version of Facebook), which resulted in huge online communities forming, like the "lying flat group," where users would post photos of animals and other creatures in a prone position. Per The Washington Post, the 9,000-member-strong "lying flat" community on Douban was removed by censors.

The philosphy of lying flat- The greatest irony of the CCP.

This could end badly for the protesters.

a reply to: tamusan

If true, these people are not only willing to risk their own lives but also their loved ones.


Can it be?

America seems to have a lying flat movement also since the regressives have grabbed power

originally posted by: tamusan
They want no part of the "Neijuan" which is the word used to describe the hyper-competitive lifestyle in China. Neijuan goes hand in hand with what is known as the "996 culture", which has people working 12 hour days for six days a week.

Ummm... I work more than that, as do most others I know...

originally posted by: Mark08
America seems to have a lying flat movement also since the regressives have grabbed power

With the difference being that they have the freedom of choice to work 3,6,8,12 hours a day on any job they want to aim for. Its a freedom of choice. Regressive of course only have excuses not to work at all and expect other to pay for it. They have no legitimate reason to protest.

originally posted by: 19Bones79
a reply to: tamusan

If true, these people are not only willing to risk their own lives but also their loved ones.


Can it be?

That is certainly true but push people hard enough and they will push back no matter what. China has been very pushy.

a reply to: tamusan

Brings to mind "planking" but also meditation, somehow.

It just goes to show, the people of a country so often do not represent, and should not be equated with, the leaders of said country.

From a social perspective it's interesting to see something of a counter culture movement arising in China. People are getting sick of grinding themselves into the ground their whole lives for minimal reward. With the way the hierarchy there works I can understand the pushback. It'll be interesting to see how this develops.

a reply to: tamusan

American: "F it all! I'm not going to take this lying down!"
Chinese: "F it all! Gonna has me some goji wine and take a nap!"

I think that the chinese government will take that lying flat to another level, if this movement gains momentum.

originally posted by: Homefree
This could end badly for the protesters.

Agreed.
Being part of a movement that isn't in agreement with the ruling faction of the CCP usually ends badly for the members of said movement. It is an historical fact.
In 1968, throngs of people were murdering and eating people that were in the wrong faction.
Amazon: Scarlet Memorial