In today's society, it is not uncommon for rural people to flock to the city to buy real estate. Many families in the village have a magnificent courtyard house, a magnificent gatehouse, a spacious and bright house, and exquisite decoration, which can be called luxurious. Is it really worth it for them to invest tens of thousands, two hundred thousand or more, in order to make a profit in the city? These families believe that only when they buy real estate in the county town can their grandchildren go to a good school nearby, their sons can marry a satisfactory daughter-in-law, and their daughters-in-law can settle down in the city. Rural primary and secondary schools have gradually improved their teachers and hardware facilities, and it is not uncommon for rural students to be admitted to various universities, but some parents insist on asking their children to go to the city to study, recklessly pursuing the so-called "urban education". As for the son's marriage, this is indeed an unavoidable problem. However, does this culture of all-out urban integration contribute to the development and stability of rural areas? Is the housing in the cities just waiting for the peasants to take possession? Real estate is not a pie to fall on the head, even if it is six or seven hundred thousand yuan, it is bound to be difficult to obtain it only by the production of farmland. The various questions caused by this make people think deeply.
Extending further, we can see another kind of culture in the countryside - all kinds of entertainment gifts. In rural areas, when a family member dies in a funeral, family members and relatives and friends often have to pay a huge amount of gifts, just one example, a family of three for an old man's death, the gift money paid amounted to 6,000 yuan, not including other such as sacrificial supplies, paper people and paper horses, suona team costs, etc., totaling nearly 10,000 yuan. These gift expenses can cover almost all the funeral expenses of the elderly. In the funeral, because one of the sons-in-law paid a high gift money, the other sons-in-law will gradually increase the gift money, causing the old man's two sons to become rich overnight. In the sophistication of human feelings, the wind of comparison prevails, and the high gift money is staggering. Similarly, in terms of happy events, such as wedding wine and gifts, the gift money has also increased year by year, from 1,200 to 5 or 600 or even higher today. In addition, there are all kinds of "congratulatory" gifts, such as He Xue, He Xinfang, He Lou, etc., which makes people sigh at the madness of this style of comparison. For farmers who depend on the land for their livelihood, this is undoubtedly exacerbated. Saving face in business may be the reason why many rural people are suffering for themselves.
The lives of rural people always seem to be enveloped by an invisible pressure of comparison. From weddings and funerals to all kinds of personal contacts, comparing and raising standards has become a norm, but behind this lies heavy economic pressure and living burdens. The comparison culture in the countryside seems to be digging a pit to keep falling.
In terms of the concept of marriage and family, rural people often not only consider the feelings of two people, but also consider how to climb to a higher level in marriage when marrying their children. The atmosphere of comparison has led to the rising cost of a wedding, and it is not uncommon for families to spend two or three hundred thousand yuan in order to climb the high-end and climb the first yard. Behind the magnificent festivities, there is an unspeakable economic weakness. On the occasion of mourning, the rise in gift money has also become a heavy financial burden, and whether the elderly can get a decent funeral often depends on whether relatives and friends can pay a high enough gift money. The culture of comparison seems to give people no time to pay attention to life itself.
As for New Year's money, holiday gifts, etc., rural people raise each other's gift money, and even have to consider each other's interactive actions, forming a vicious circle of mutual comparison. People seem to be shrouded in the pressure of comparison, but their quality of life has not been improved, and they are digging pits, but they don't know it.
For rural people, comparison is not only a conceptual pursuit, but also a choice under economic difficulties. People seem to be held back by comparison, and life can't extricate themselves. However, in the process of comparison and self-digging, we also need to pause, examine our own mindset and behavior, and think about what true happiness and abundance are.
Perhaps, we can find true happiness in a simple life. Although comparison can temporarily improve our social status, it makes us sink into material things and lose our grasp of the real needs of our hearts. If you can face the comparison around you with a more calm mind, you may be able to find a more peaceful and quiet way of life.
On the other hand, social organizations and rural residents should also think together about how to reverse the current deep-rooted culture of comparison. Through education popularization and policy guidance, rural people will gradually understand the importance of simple life and advocating true feelings. Only when each individual can slowly recognize the trap of comparison, can it be possible to truly get out of the labyrinth of comparison and find a more pure and real life orientation.
The phenomenon of rural people digging and jumping into the pit may not be an isolated case, but a widespread cultural phenomenon. Only by thinking and working together can rural people get rid of the trouble of comparison and regain the true and beautiful life. I hope that we can find the happiness that truly satisfies us in our ordinary lives, and no longer lose ourselves for comparison.