Back to the city...
Trip Start
Oct 05, 2009
1
9
35
Trip End
Mar 28, 2010
Beijing, China
Monday, November 23, 2009
Peace vs. Productivity - In the countryside, the life is obviously simpler. Less money to be made, less things to be bought... this is a kind of peace. In the city, the social pressure is to produce and to buy. One wants things so he/she must work to get them. It's a trade-off either way.
The respective vices of each are laziness and greed. When there is peace, one is tempted to be too complacent and try to maintain status quo... not to aspire. While greed, in the city, is where one can get carried away with trying to be too productive, trying to obtain too many so-called goods.
At the moment my opinion is that I am more fit for the city. I like being able to have a selection of goods, having access to the newest technology, and being able to meet many people. Despite the smog and temptation to be overly busy, I believe that one can manage and still find some peace in the city if he/she makes the effort. Sometimes I think this is how the idea of suburbs came about. It is a nice compromise between being close enough to the city but far enough to feel like it's the countryside in a way.
