Recently in the Chinese New Year holiday, I met quite a few “long lost” friends and made some new ones, which is exciting and unforgettable, indeed. At the dinner tables, we talked a lot, updating our “memories”. The talks were nice and pleasant, but I found an interesting phenomenon. Some people, consciously or unconsciously, like to talk about their recent achievements in a proud fashion.

One guy I met at table said he had bought a 150㎡ new house in a high-grade residential area. Among all the “wows”, he continued, “I also bought some commercial real estate and it has been rented out for 80,000 yuan a year.” Everybody present knew that he came in a “Golf”, and his wife had already purchased a “Carola”. To make it more impressive, he announced that he would buy a much better car for his son in the foreseeable future. He works for the government and his wife runs a shop selling animal feeds. We all know that his family is better off, but we still felt kind of surprised at his achievements. In everyone’s admiration and congratulations, he really enjoyed himself and I guess felt on top of the world.

Another man told us in a casual manner that his son had been appointed as vice section chief of a certain unit after a 3-round competitions and selections. And it was in his 4 years of work! Then he said it was no accident that he got such a promotion. Just when he entered the college, I told him that he had to join the Party. Then before he went into the workplace, I told him to be on his best behavior. And now his efforts paid off, he said proudly. Of course, he added, some strings had to be pulled when necessary.

There’s nothing wrong with talking about one’s achievements. And if you really try and then succeed, you do have the right to share them with whoever you meet, or even show off whatever you’ve achieved. You deserve to be proud of yourselves. What I’m thinking of here is whether to be rich or to be an official is the only aim in life. If everybody wants success of this kind, if everybody admires and looks up only to those who are wealthy or who have the decision-making power, what sort of society shall we live in? Can there possibly be something wrong with our society?

Since the reform and opening-up to the outside world, we have made enormous progress economically and we have all enjoyed the benefits of this great achievement which attracts worldwide attention. We have 3-G cell-phones and high-speed computers. And many of us have cars, which is just unimaginable in the 1980s. However, we are losing something more precious than material comforts: friendships love honesty....  We seem to have become more distant from each other. We have less heart to heart talks other than boasting about the wealth we have gained or the new power we have newly “grabbed”. Are you genuinely happy once you get the money or power? Or are you actually controlled by your vanity?

A truly great nation should have more than wealth. We also need scientists, who do not necessarily earn a lot. We also need teachers, who are content to live a simple uneventful life. We also need philanthropists, who are good at making money and know the real purpose of making money. We also need great statesmen, who know clearly how huge their responsibility is in their positions.

Different people have different dreams and we are entitled to lead a life we like to. We do need to have some money and living necessities to survive. And it is beyond reproach to pursue a better life. However, it is more important for one to have a spiritual home. A famous person once said: “A nation without spirit of its own will be hopeless and doomed to failure.” Is it worthwhile to gain something superficial at the cost of losing something really important?