run philosophy

Some citizens of China, particularly in the middle class, are viewing their future in China with dismay. No prospects and no freedom. This sense of being repressed started in COVID lockdowns but seems to be still there even when those specific restrictions are lifted. Women are finding the culture increasingly misogynistic.  For one reason or another, some people are searching for ways of getting out of the country. This is evident in the surge of online discussions about how to achieve such an exit.

Those venturing into such discussions don’t mention the word emigration because that would bring the online censors into play.  The Chinese government has said that unnecessary travel out of China will be restricted. Instead the discussion is about runxue. The first part of that is run which in Chinese means ‘moist’ and causes no alarm to the Chinese censors.  Of course in English it means ’to flee’. The second half, xue, means ‘a field of study, a philosophy’.

Last year we had lying flat, the decision to opt out from the Chinese social mores and have no expectations and ambitions.  These two new words from China are an indication of increasing dissatisfaction with the current political situation.