It's the trouble caused by 'putting on a brave face'.
Or are we all pursuing: dignity?
Are gatherings still gatherings now?
Are the luxury cars in the office building garage really the wealth accumulation of young entrepreneurs?
The streets are full of BBA, the car logos are more impressive than the other, are they really all that happy?
The vast majority of the middle class, under the current poor economic conditions, at most earn around 8,000, yet must support car loans, mortgages, wives, children, parents, daily expenses, etc.
Perhaps 'having a car now doesn’t mean having money, just having a down payment is enough.' is the truest portrayal.
But the saddest thing is: 'We live in a society where many people are afraid to get sick, how can they have the confidence to make monthly payments?'
'Loan-based dignity' is draining the future of young people.
Not long ago, I met a college graduate from a 211 university who graduated three years ago. At a company, he finally got a management position, earning less than 8,000 a month, but he gritted his teeth and took out a loan to buy a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
A buddy said: Without a car, you can't talk to girls; without a car, it's hard to deal with clients!
But what I know is: the first thing when my salary arrives at the beginning of each month is to pay the monthly installment, at least not less than five thousand.
Rent, utilities, living expenses, all relying on that little bit left over. For lunch, he can only afford a bowl of noodles!!!
He can’t afford to quit easily, nor can he afford to fall ill easily. Sometimes when dating, he has to count every penny, fearing he might stop payments.
The magic of auto finance lies in making you believe you have 'nobility', when in fact, you have only become the bank's long-term steady 'chives'.
A down payment of tens of thousands, monthly payments of five thousand, sounds very 'cost-effective', but think carefully: are you raising a car? Do you still have happiness? Or did you just buy yourself a cage?
Why must we 'afford to act'?
The essence of this matter is not about cars, but about anxiety.
Many of us are suffocated by a word: dignity.
Dressed decently, living decently, driving decently, eating decently. But all this 'decency' often has to be built on loans and credit.
The ultimate: stopping payments, may just be the outcome. Look at the pandemic in 2020, it tested the real strength of many people and gave many a warning!
Clearly, the pockets are empty, yet pretending to live steadily.
This is not pursuing life; this is acting.
True dignity is never about what car you drive or what brand you wear, but about not being afraid to spend money when you're sick, not having to rely on others when there are family issues, and not having to pick schools for your children.
That is the confidence.
Don’t let 'face projects' consume your sense of security in life.
I'm not against buying nice cars, nor do I deny the pursuit of quality.
As a man, I have also had the psychology of chasing luxury cars. I once mistakenly thought: having a luxury car means having beautiful women, having a luxury car means business will get better and better, having a luxury car means having happiness.
But after experiencing several entrepreneurial failures, I deeply understood: both face and substance are not as important as what you have in your bank account.
Don’t let the car logo become your measure of success. True freedom in life is not about how expensive a car you can drive, but having the ability to say 'no'.
Don’t rely on cars to let others define you; instead, define your lifestyle by your own abilities and accumulation.
Being low-key is always: the most impressive show-off!
Thinking that showing off car keys and luxury bags represents 'life winners'; wrong, truly having it means no need to show off, no need to flaunt, just needs to wipe off the dust when it gets dirty, and not wanting others to know.
The line between face and substance is becoming increasingly blurred. Driving a 300,000 car is not difficult; the hard part is being able to pull out 300,000 in cash at any time.
These two '300,000s', one is a vanity shell, the other is real security.
You live for yourself, not for face.
Rather than spending five years paying for a car that is just for show,
Five years later, how much will your car depreciate?
It’s better to spend three years saving up a sum of cash that can truly change your life.
Learn to invest, invest in yourself, change yourself,
Five years later, this investment could yield ten times the return.
Ten years later, it might give you a hundredfold return.
Dignity is not about driving a luxury car, or wearing brand-name clothes, nor is it: the mistaken value that money is more important than face.
Rather, it’s about having a trump card to play in the face of difficulties; having freedom not to settle in front of choices.
True dignity has never been 'acted' out.
It’s the smile on your face
Wishing you: dignity