Does laziness make a country poor?
When we talk about the "laziest country", the first name that comes to mind is Tokelau.
It is a small island nation in the South Pacific, and its inhabitants live a laid-back and relaxed life, isolated from the rest of the world, doing little else except eating and sleeping every day.
This lazy lifestyle has taken many people by surprise, but Tokelauans seem to be happy with it.
Why, then, did Tokelau have such a state of life? Does laziness really make a country poor?
What kind of social mechanism is hidden in this? Perhaps we can find the answer in the story of Tokelau, the "laziest country in the world".
Located in the Central Pacific Ocean, Tokelau is the smallest island nation in the world made up of three atolls.
It has a total area of only 12 square kilometres and is inhabited by about 1,500 islanders.
The island country has inconvenient transportation and no airport, so it can only rely on regular shipping to contact the outside world.
The climate is mild and humid, with an average temperature of around 29°C throughout the year.
Abundant rain nourishes the island's coconut groves and bushes.
On the sun-lit sea, sparkling.
Except for the occasional passing by fishing boats, there are few traces of other human activity.
It can be said that this is a secluded place isolated from the rest of the world.
In this tranquil sea, the island is home to less than 2,000 inhabitants.
During the day, the islanders can be seen lazily napping in hammocks in the shade of the trees, and some people sitting under the coconut trees unhurriedly eating freshly caught raw fish; A few children were playing barefoot on the beach.
No one is in a hurry, everyone is enjoying life in the moment.
According to statistics, 90 per cent of Tokelauans are obese, and they have nothing to do all day long, and it is not even a hassle to walk a few steps.
When eating, they are often too lazy to cook seriously, and eat the food as soon as it is cooked.
It can be said that the people of Tokelau have reached the point of "lazy advanced cancer".
Where, then, do Tokelauans make a living in such a state of extreme laziness?
Tokelauans, who were supposed to make a living from fishing, chose to lease all the fishing rights in the surrounding waters to other countries, earning a considerable annual rental income.
This area is rich in fish resources and is one of the most important fishing grounds in the South Pacific.
The amount of rent is as high as £1.2 million per year, which is almost enough to meet the needs of the entire inhabitants of the island.
Despite such a considerable economy, it is more enjoyable for lazy Tokelauans to easily earn rent than to work fishing boats and sweat and do manual labor.
As a result, people simply destroyed their few fishing boats and left the sea to fishermen from other countries to draw resources and thrive in their own waters.
In addition to this, Tokelau has received amazing economic aid from its home country, New Zealand.
New Zealand** provides more than $6.4 million in financial subsidies annually to Tokelau, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the country's total revenue.
It can almost be said that it is this "old-fashioned" way of life that has made the carefree and lazy life of the Tokelauans possible.
With little or no labor, they were able to get enough food and clothing to fill their stomachs.
Despite living under the auspices of other countries, Tokelau retained a degree of autonomy.
In 2006, there was a high-profile referendum on whether Tokelau should become independent from New Zealand and take full control of its political and economic destiny.
It was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
After independence, Tokelau will have its own flag, anthem, ** and currency.
The islanders will finally be able to decide how to exploit the abundant marine resources around them.
To the surprise of many outside observers, however, it turned out that the vast majority of the island's population chose to oppose independence.
The second referendum a year later was no different.
The reason for this is that although Tokelau has a leisurely life, there are only a few elites who really have the right to speak.
Many of them are highly educated and aware of the challenges of independence: to be self-reliant means no more New Zealand subsidies, and perhaps even the idleness of today.
Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the mentality of preferring to give up independence and continue to parasitize.
In particular, New Zealand has also sent professionals to build hotels, fishing grounds and other facilities on the island in an attempt to help Tokelau's economic development.
But the islanders still go their own way, and still live a laid-back life of dependence.
It can be said that the people of Tokelauan have become accustomed to the days of "pampering" and are naturally reluctant to let go easily.
On the other hand, New Zealand's assistance to the South Pacific island nation will also help to maintain and consolidate its influence in the region.
It is precisely because both sides have benefited substantially from this distorted "relationship of support" that it has continued steadily for a long time to this day.
In fact, with the progress of human society, laziness is still a major problem that is difficult for many countries to complete.
According to the scientific magazine The Lancet, Malta tops the list, followed by Eswatini and the United Kingdom, respectively.
In these countries, to a greater or lesser extent, people live too leisurely and are not motivated.
Take Malta, for example, a Mediterranean island country with a well-developed tourism industry and is known as the "sunny land of Europe".
In spring, summer, autumn and winter, the shadows of coconut groves are lined up.
The main roads and alleys of each town have a relaxed atmosphere.
Even during the peak tourist season, the locals are unhurried and maintain a leisurely pace of life.
Maltese focus on immediate enjoyment, reduce stress and anxiety, and often "lie down" on the balcony or beach all day long, watching TV, basking in the sun, and taking a nap.
As for the eighth-ranked United Kingdom, it is mainly the people who pay attention to work-life balance and avoid excessive hard work.
Shops in the UK close early and stay open longer on holidays, which is in contrast to many other countries, suggesting that the UK is also more relaxed and relaxed.
The survey showed that there were only 35Nine per cent of UK adults are getting enough exercise in life, which is much lower than in other developed countries.
So, why do some countries have the state of "lazy countries"? We may wish to look to the lives of Tokelau islanders for answers.
For one, it may have to do with Tokelau's small island environment and isolated cultural traditions.
As a small island country with closed information and limited resources, there is naturally little room and opportunities for development.
Having lived in such an environment for a long time, Tokelauans have gradually developed the character of quietly enjoying the present moment and not seeking progress.
This hedonistic-centric, unenterprising culture also contributes to a lazy lifestyle.
Second, Tokelau's social structure is relatively stable,** providing a variety of relief benefits and financial support.
The islanders do not have to worry too much about food and clothing, and can rely on this assistance to obtain a more stable life.
This has virtually weakened people's internal drive to become self-reliant and self-reliant.
Without the motivation to fight to fill the stomach, laziness and dependence have a breeding ground.
Third, New Zealand**, which frequently subsidizes Tokelau, also has a negative and lazy national character.
Frequent funding and support have helped Tokelauans develop a "dependent" and dependent mentality.
It can be said that this distorted aid mechanism has also contributed to the peculiar social state of Tokelauans today.
Fourthly, on an individual level, the abundance of material life also undermined the enterprising spirit of Tokelauans.
It is human nature that when a person has easy access to basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter and transportation, he becomes lazy and complacent.
This mentality is fully manifested throughout Tokelau society.
People have become accustomed to this way of life, and naturally they have lost the motivation to be self-reliant.
At the end of the day, laziness has always been an indelible aspect of human nature.
When the pressure to survive is reduced, people tend to choose a leisurely life.
This is reflected not only at the individual level, but also at the national level.
Tokelau is a case in point.
The abundant fish stocks and the large subsidies of New Zealand** have greatly reduced the pressure on the survival of Tokelauans, and a life without food and clothing has been formed.
As a result, there is a peculiar social state of widespread laziness of people in this land.
This also reflects from the side that the weakening of the pressure to survive does not necessarily represent the progress and absolute development of a country.
On the contrary, this widespread laziness of the national character and way of life has also laid great hidden dangers for Tokelau.
It has greatly damaged people's enthusiasm for work, is not conducive to economic and social development, and weakened the country's overall strength.
At the same time, it also harms the physical and mental health of the people, reduces the overall quality of the people, and makes them lose the ability to cope with difficulties and disasters.
If New Zealand's aid and resource transfers were to be interrupted one day, Tokelau would lose its ability to support itself and become a "failed state" in the truest sense of the word.
Therefore, in this sense, laziness is not a sustainable lifestyle and national policy after all.
Whether it is for individuals or countries, we should maintain a certain sense of survival pressure and enterprising spirit, which is a necessary condition for sustainable and healthy development.