Chatting with a friend and talking about the past 2022, what was your biggest feeling? I was silent for a few seconds and said that I probably lost control. My friend’s eyes lit up, indicating that he had spoken to his heart, so we chatted on this topic for the whole afternoon.

I was chatting with a friend and talking about the past 2022. What was your biggest feeling?

I was silent for a few seconds, saying that I probably lost control.

My friend’s eyes lit up, and he said that it spoke to his heart, so we started chatting on this topic all afternoon.

I think this chat is of some significance. If my friends feel that I summed up the past year as "out of control", then I think there may be many friends who feel the same way, so I want to record it in an article.

Let’s talk about the feeling of losing control from several aspects.

1.

Ordinary people lose their sense of control over their basic lives

In the past, no matter how bad the environment was, for people, home would at least be their last safe haven. However, in 2022, it seems that this basic consensus has been broken.

Home has become a place where strangers can break into and block it at will. Home has also become a place where you can be evicted at any time. Things in your home can even be damaged. A large number of unfinished building projects have also dashed many people's hopes for home.

Home has never given people a sense of alienation like it did in the past year. This is a particularly huge impact for me living in Shanghai. I once wrote an article during the lockdown in Shanghai, "I've lived in Shanghai for so long, I forget that I'm in China." What I felt at the time was that I never thought that things that shouldn't happen would happen in Shanghai, which is relatively more civilized and legal. I was confused at the time, until I finally understood that I was living on the same land as everyone else. I don’t mean to praise Shanghai unintentionally. Shanghai naturally has its own problems. As far as life is concerned, I even prefer living in a small city. However, I believe that Shanghai represents a relatively more open, inclusive and humane environment. If this is the case in Shanghai, it may be seen in other cities as well.

In addition to home, our ordinary travel also has many unpredictable risks. For example, when you go out, you may become a close contact for no reason and be controlled. If you are on a business trip, there may be an epidemic at your destination and you may not be able to come back as planned in the short term.

It is not safe at home, and there are also many risks outside. It seems that we are always being stirred by a huge invisible blender and cannot stop ourselves.

This is probably the state we ordinary people have been in most of the past year.

Everything is not under your control.

2.

People are skeptical about the continuous improvement

In the past, my country's economy has experienced decades of sustained development, which seems to make people mistakenly believe that growth and development are the norm. Even in 2020, the early stage of the epidemic, when foreign countries were experiencing a chaotic transition, we also achieved relatively optimistic development because of the "quiet years". Therefore, people are not mentally prepared for what will happen in 2022.

The severe contraction of the economy, the bankruptcy of enterprises and the rise of unemployment rate have made everyone start to live austerely.

One industry after another has shown decline, the entertainment industry, the film industry, tourism, catering...

All of this happened so fast that many people have not yet reacted.

The rise in residents’ savings rate has clearly illustrated everyone’s general mentality.

The most fatal thing is that all of this happened within a year, which made everyone see the fragility behind the prosperity. It is estimated that no one could have imagined that all the prosperity could return to the pre-liberation period. This would have a huge impact on people's confidence.

People have also begun to realize that things are impermanent, and everything will always fluctuate and cannot always be good. Everyone finally understands that none of this is under our control. All ordinary people are just gravel drifting with the tide of the times.

3.

Business people have lost confidence in expanding investment

The most calls received this year may be loan calls. I usually ask my friends jokingly when I see them, and I find that many of my friends do the same. This year's loan interest rate has been as low as 3.5% annualized, which is a real benefit. However, it seems that many entrepreneurial friends are still cautious.

Except for some industries where the epidemic can bring benefits, most corporate goals have become more realistic, and there is only one left to survive.

The most important thing is that people's expectations and confidence in the future market have been seriously frustrated. It may take some time to form a positive cycle.

So, where is the way out in the face of loss of control?

I think a little bit may be enough, no more messing around.

In fact, I have always felt that the resilience of the people in our country is very strong. Basically, it is the kind that can shine with a little sunshine. I am very confident about this. This is also a ridicule full of praise. For our country's entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, the wolf nature is also very strong. As long as they are given corresponding policy support, the instinct of survival will naturally drive everyone to take action.

Looking at the past, all the problems we have experienced are basically that we have tormented our own people too much, so we sincerely hope that in 2023 we can be less tormented and let people do their own things, and the economy will definitely usher in a visible recovery.