increasing numbers of people, more commonly young adults, are rebelling against the conformist society, and restrictive policies, in which they live in.
These people cite the relentless pressures of having to meet the typical expectations of getting a good career, getting married, and having children – the traditional rights of passage. Additionally they experience feelings of disillusionment of not being able to buy a house, and also have problems with the suppression of individuality. They question why most their life should be spent working.
They are rebelling against the system.
The very system that is blindly followed by the masses.
But why should we care?
Rebellion can change the world.
Rebellion movements have the ability to spread very quickly throughout the world.
Rebellion will continue to change the world.
The Great Resignation is a movement that has been building momentum over the last decade, as a result of employment dissatisfaction. Statistics have shown there has been a significant global increase in the number of employees voluntarily resigning from their jobs.
There are many varied reasons for this phenomenon – from burn-out, work standards and support, lack of pay and acknowledgement, thru to better job or self-employment opportunities elsewhere.
Many of the greatest affected sectors of the economy have been the leisure, retail, hospitality and healthcare sectors.
In Asia there are several ‘rebel’ movements that are experiencing exponential growth in members.
‘Lying Flat’ (or ‘Tang Ping) has has exploded on social media and attracted the scrutiny of Chinese censors. Similar to ‘The Great Resignation,’ Tang Ping supporters believe in turning their backs on the traditional ‘rules’ of working one’s entire life.
Likewise, the ‘Satori no Sedai’ of Japan, believe that, hard work and spending one’s career within one company does not pay off in society anymore. More weight is now given to the life of the individual. This belief flips the traditional ‘country first, company second, family third, and individual last,’ value structure that still persists throughout Japan. Many young men have witnessed first-hand, the life of their salaryman father, and do not aspire to the same life of servitude.
Youth in other asian countries have their own versions with similar ideologies – like the South Korean ‘Sampo’ generation.
There are common themes throughout all these philosophies – young people questioning the rules and expectations within society, and how they apply to the modern world. They see no hope, and no justifiable reward for the sacrifices they make.
They feel frustration with the relentless pressure to meet society’s expectations, and the milestones that must be met to ensure a ‘successful’ life.
The generation these groups of rebels come from, will eventually become their country’s leaders in the twenty-first century. It is therefore important to understand this demographic, to understand the future and the changes that could be pending.
A more comprehensive and explanatory article is covered in the ‘Rebellion’ chapter of No Rule Book, which is available for purchase from this website.
