No matter where you are in the world, scammers and criminals are always present. However, the proportion of scammers seems to be particularly astonishing in our land. What is the reason? Simply put, the general intelligence is relatively low, and there are many ignorant people, to the extent that scammers are overwhelmed. Although the scams in northern Myanmar appear clumsy, if you invite a hundred precise Chinese people (like those 18th-tier actors), eight or nine out of ten will fall for it. This is because those people cannot recognize reality and yearn for overnight wealth, akin to sleepwalkers blindly chasing after illusory starlight.
Imagine, you are merely a crowd actor, yet when tempted by someone, you fantasize about becoming an "international movie star." Isn't such a fantasy absurd? Similarly, a certain entrepreneur selling phones shouts "far ahead," while another selling water claims "to provide for the livelihood of the people," and as a result, a group of people support them mindlessly, pulling out their wallets without hesitation. Little do they know, the children and illegitimate children of these entrepreneurs have long since immigrated overseas, with assets rivaling nations. Certainly, it is not illegal for them to acquire assets overseas, keep mistresses, or have illegitimate children, but when a whore still wants to set up a signboard, it is truly incomprehensible. Even so, they still manage to garner hundreds of millions of supporters. Even when scammed and harvested, why do these people remain oblivious?
There are two reasons:#
First,#
There is a general lack of critical thinking and questioning spirit. Some claim there are good job opportunities here, and they immediately feel tempted and happily go; someone says joining a certain group can get coupons and cashback, and they join without hesitation; someone is told "your credit card has been fraudulently charged overseas," and they panic and start cooperating with the scammer. In short, they believe whatever others say, and with just a little emotional provocation, they fall for it. In these people's minds, greed and fear have long overshadowed rational thought, and calm reflection seems a luxury to them; no matter how much they earn, they will ultimately be harvested.
Second,#
There is a reverence for collective thinking, abandoning individual thought. Many believe that going with the crowd is always right, and even if mistakes occur, it is always the law that does not hold the masses accountable. Everyone is buying houses, so I should buy one too; everyone is getting vaccinated, so I should get vaccinated too; everyone is buying insurance, so I should buy insurance too; otherwise, who will support today's elderly? However, when collectivism becomes the only creed, protecting collective interests often requires sacrificing individual interests. The conflict of interests between the individual and the collective has long become an unspoken truth.
For a long time, we have been educated to have a spirit of dedication, where the collective's interests are above all, always ready to sacrifice ourselves for the collective good. But if you are the one who ultimately needs to be sacrificed, will you still find that sacrifice meaningful? Isn't such thinking a manifestation of self-enslavement?
In this land, scammers and fools dance together, truth and illusion intertwine, raising concerns. Should we reflect on how it has come to this?