When I was a child, material things were genuinely scarce. Ferraris and Porsches were myths, stories boys told each other, not realities.

Someone once said the most glorious moment of his life was taking a shower in a five-star hotel. He bragged about it among his peers for half a year.

People had desires back then too. But those desires stayed close to the ground.

Being full.
Being warm.
Being noticed.
Being affirmed.
Having the occasional “wow” moment that was enough to feel happy for a long time.

Things are different now. Material conditions are far better, but desire has been pulled to a height completely unrelated to one’s actual life level.

Every day, we’re shown lifestyles we don’t need and could never sustainably carry.

The more we see, the more we want. The more we want, the more anxious we become. Most people don’t actually want that life. They just want proof that they’ve leveled up.

The problem is they don’t understand how social layers work, or how capital sets its traps. So they start believing that as long as they’re ruthless enough, thick-skinned enough, and grab every straw that looks climbable, a barnyard chicken can turn into a phoenix.

Slowly, non-material joy disappears.
No money—no happiness.
No status—no rest.
Not being seen—feels like not existing.

Money and status shift from tools into beliefs.

For them, people sell their bodies, sell their conscience, even sell their souls. Things that once sounded “way too extreme” now happen around us every day.

Trust between people. The safety of leaving doors unlocked. They slowly turn into fairy tales. Now even a message or a phone call is first met with suspicion: Is this a scam?

So tell me— is this society really happier?



—— XC Scribbles · 柒拾壹 LXXI 🦊