Written By Song Xiangqian (Alan Song)
This article was first published on March 6, 2022.

Spring has arrived once again, a season of rejuvenation and renewal, nurturing the cycles of nature and refreshing the human spirit. "A year's plan starts with spring," and in this season of budding life, it is worth exploring the forces of recovery and growth in the current socio-economic life.

01

It is evident that the era of forty years of high-speed economic growth has passed. The era of extensive growth, with large-scale development resembling a big river and big fish, has given way to the meticulous and refined approach of Drucker-style modern management science. The subtle signals, like the grass snake's movements and the faint lines on the ground, have already provided the best interpretation for the macroeconomic impacts of supply shocks, demand contraction, weakening expectations, and the shocks from the pandemic. Difficulties are destined to be unprecedented. Even with yesterday's government work report proposing a GDP growth target of 5.5% and approving a massive 3.65 trillion yuan special bond to support it, we are still in the temple of investment-driven growth and monetary easing.

The change from "six stabilizations" to "six guarantees" reflects the breathtaking impact of the downward trend. Meanwhile, the powerful impact and disturbance of geopolitical factors, as well as the possible "knock-on effect" of the Crimea crisis and the "prisoner's dilemma" in policies, will increase uncertainty in future development to some extent. The era of system reboot is destined to be a modern version of Dickens's "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Charlie Munger once said, "Macroeconomics is something we have to live with, but microeconomics is where we can make a difference." In this fragile era, looking back, learning from the past, and seeking the forces of recovery and the dynamics of growth become particularly important.

No matter which stage of life one reaches, it is essential to appreciate that time, fulfill the responsibilities of that stage, go with the flow, not dwell on the past, not fanatically anticipate the future, and embrace life as it is. Regardless of the struggles and challenges we may be going through, perhaps we only have one choice – to be joyful despite the pain and to believe in the future.
02

The discussion on economic recovery and growth dynamics by most people tends to focus on traditional economic categories and perspectives such as productivity, production relations, and production factors. However, I place a greater emphasis on human values and roles, starting from humanism. I value the humanistic values and human qualities in socio-economic development, emphasizing the study and promotion of business ethics and business civilization. This will contribute to the enlightenment and progress of Chinese business society and business civilization. Similar to Max Weber's research in "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," the weaknesses of human nature may provide short-term opportunities for business profits, but truly great businesses make human nature shine, warm hearts, and transcend time and space. Jeff Bezos once said, "Kindness is more important than cleverness. Find that thing that is unchanging, cultivate the lifelong values of humanity."

Since starting my entrepreneurial journey in 2007, I have always believed that our value lies in the fact that not all businessmen are necessarily selfish; altruism can also be profitable and successful. Ordinary people without a background can also succeed in entrepreneurship and change their destiny against all odds. I believe in the greatness of human nature. Investing in goodness itself is a warm, inspirational, and meaningful endeavor. By wholeheartedly helping ordinary people become better versions of themselves, we also grow together, not living in vain. Doing the right things, doing things right, success, and making money are byproducts. Private interests are public welfare; exploring the brilliance and potential of human nature in ordinary people, becoming better versions of ourselves together, this powerful flow of consciousness leads to mutual personal and life progress.

The role of an entrepreneur is to use persistence to ignite the lamp of every diligent and kind-hearted soul, and although the light in the darkness may be dim, it is enough to illuminate the path of life for each other. I have a great older brother, an outstanding financier. Leading two large state-owned banks to go public and becoming a leading brand in the industry, he once said, "Entrepreneurs should adhere to and practice the concept of doing business with kindness, investing in kindness, and advancing technology with kindness. Hegel said that human weaknesses have remained unchanged for thousands of years, but human nature has more brilliance. The key is how to control weaknesses to maximize the radiance of human nature. Like a martial arts master, always standing above the rest, being truly the best in the world is not about how many people you can defeat but how many people you can lift up. Altruism will eventually benefit oneself, and benefiting oneself will eventually benefit others." These few words reveal the tenacity of doing business with ethics and principles. In the process of career development, entrepreneurs may be more concerned about the journey of spiritual growth. As the saying goes, "Move in accordance with profit, strengthen in accordance with the Dao." "Those who love others are always loved; those who respect others are always respected." If we always observe the world with a positive perspective and draw nutrients from it, nourishing each other's body and mind with goodwill, life and career are destined to be colorful and splendid. Squat down and look at the world; the world is vast and beautiful. This is the pure beauty brought by the perspective of innocence.

03

Chen Qiwei, a teacher at Asia Capital, and I once discussed and jointly believed that contemporary Chinese society urgently needs a movement similar to the European Renaissance for ideological enlightenment and progress. The industrial revolution and the development of modern politics and civil society in the modern West were all based on the powerful revival of humanity in the Renaissance and the pursuit of a scientific, beautiful, and rational world.

In the 1960s, China also completed a social progress mobilization across society. Due to historical limitations, this movement did not go deep enough, leaving behind the chaos of social division today. It is precisely because of this historical limitation that social distribution is unfair, the Gini coefficient is high, and scholars such as Thomas Piketty, represented by "Capital in the Twenty-First Century," began to question the rationality of economics and institutions. Social development has become increasingly unstable, falling into the turbulence of the pendulum movement. However, it cannot be denied that these forces of progress, recovery, and awakening have indeed ensured prosperity for half a century. Only by recognizing and deeply perceiving the true essence of human nature, respecting the power of the human radiance, can we truly achieve the leap in building a modern national governance system, establishing modern national governance capabilities, and effectively projecting power. This is also the era motive launched under the grand narrative background of common prosperity.

It is worth pondering that in the historical journey toward a modernized nation, we were once stuck in the paradigm of the "May Fourth Movement" at the beginning of the last century. The progress of civilization and the exploration of modernization have always been in the mode of arduous march and difficult exploration. The soaring dragon of China greatly needs the ignition and promotion of the fire of modern civilization and the care of the night pearl of humanism. The realization of the Chinese dream indeed requires the delicate rendering of realistic techniques.

04

In this sense, our civilization and social development have to some extent fallen into a "stagnation of civilization" mode. In the process of rapid economic development, major social issues such as the progress of social civilization, the development of business ethics civilization, and the establishment of civil society lag far behind the speed of economic development. Some people even loudly shout, "Slow down and let the soul catch up with your footsteps." In the era of stock games, only by completely abandoning the "zero-sum game" mentality, truly standing from the perspective of a community of human destiny, learning from history without carrying historical baggage, facing the future without simply entering the tone of game theory's Thucydides Trap, emphasizing the right to development, and truly willing to help others and benefit others, can we enjoy the dividends of hard work, not be afraid of losses, be willing to endure hardships, and find joy in hardships. Only then can we truly enjoy the dividends of peaceful development, technological progress, and the benefits brought by cultural prosperity, completing the renewal and development of social spirit and business cultural ethics and successfully stepping out of the historical cycle of the rise and fall of great powers.

Every generation of people has its own pain. Having a certain attitude towards suffering when young allows one to grow into a strong individual in the future. Transforming from the "old China of suffering" to the "new era of you and me," this attitude towards suffering condenses into a fire in the heart and a force in the body. That is the "ideal country" for entrepreneurs and ordinary people, calmly walking on the rising path. That is the real hopeful field. We all passionately love this vast land under our feet. Therefore, we embrace it with such force, even if it hurts, life is without regrets!