A viral video about an ordinary man recently grabbed public attention and offered much food for thought.
Produced by a vlogger on Blibili, one of China’s top streaming sites, the video is about the author’s second uncle. The work is well shot, edited and narrated, with elaborate details vividly depicting a disabled yet perseverant elder at a remote mountain village. Within days after its release, it received more than 15 million views and garnered many likes.
The huge popularity of the video is partly explained by its title, calling it an antidote to a psychological burden afflicting many urban dwellers.
According to the author, his uncle cured him of all his anxieties three days after he returned to his home village.
Simply put, the uncle’s entire life is a story of hardships and misfortunes.
Intelligent and talented, the uncle was a top student until secondary school. He could have had a bright future if fate had not wronged him.
According to the video, in his teens, he had a fever and became crippled after a village doctor gave him some injections. For quite a while he was despondent after his accidental disability, which disrupted his school life.
However, he did not succumb to the fate. To feed himself, he taught himself the trade of carpentry and soon became an expert at it. He made furniture for fellow villagers and even traveled to other towns and cities to make furniture. He is kind, often helping his neighbors fix furniture and other household items.
He has never married and now, in his 60s, he is living with his 88-year-old mother, taking care of her in her daily life.
It goes without saying that the uncle’s story is commonplace among millions of Chinese peasants.
His hardships and adversities are moderate in comparison with those of many others. His resilience and perseverance can be found in any Chinese common folk, especially from older generations.
It is the timing of the video’s appearance that created the sensation, as many people today are frustrated because of the persistent pandemic, turbulent global situations and a gloomy economic outlook. They need something positive to cheer them up.
The uncle remains calm, unwavering and often upbeat in spite of all the difficulties and setbacks. He also came to terms with the doctor “responsible” for his disability. (That is not entirely true, as people later found out the uncle was paralyzed because of polio.)
People need to pacify their stressful nerves. As the narrator says, the uncle is the world’s happiest person because he lives a colorful life that would be a miserable life for a pessimist.
He never complains about fate or life. He takes pleasure in being able to help others. He spent his life’s savings to buy an apartment for his adopted daughter. Obviously, his outlook on happiness is more spiritual than material.
Many viewers like the video because they find it therapeutic.
Rat-race competition is driving city folks crazy. Those struggling with survival may feel tense, but many who have achieved success also feel unhappy, some even more so.
Gratification doesn’t necessarily increase with one’s riches. When gripped by greed, lust and depravity, the more one has, the less happy one will be.
Fear of failure in competitions, jealousy for other people’s success, worries about housing mortgages and children’s education, all torture people.
Fortitude and perseverance can help us go through hardships.
Suppose the uncle had felt bad about his life, his life could be much more miserable. Yet, on the other hand, coming to terms with life doesn’t mean “lying flat,” or giving up effort to strive for a better future.
That is perhaps the lessons taught by the video.
(The author is an English tutor and freelance writer.)