Named the lifestyle that reduces the level of happiness

Chinese psychologists have found that young people who support the "lying flat" (tang ping) lifestyle are, on average, less satisfied with their lives. Moreover, it is this attitude that predicts a decline in satisfaction over time, and not the other way around. The study was published in the journal Behavioral Sciences.

The tang ping phenomenon emerged in China as a form of passive rejection of fierce competition, the career rat race, and material ambitions. People who adopt this stance seek to limit themselves to minimal needs, refusing to fight for promotions, housing, or status at any cost. The expression literally means "lying on your back, doing nothing and not reacting to anything."

The movement emerged as a reaction to overwork, high housing prices, economic inequality, and the "996" culture (working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week). Supporters of tang ping cite burnout and the lack of tangible returns from excessive effort.

Huanhua Lu and her colleagues decided to examine how support for "lying flat" is related to subjective well-being. The first study involved 960 students from Beijing (average age approximately 20 years). Some were enrolled at a prestigious university, while others attended a regular college. Participants completed a tang ping tendency scale and a life satisfaction questionnaire.

The results showed that stronger support for the "lying flat" lifestyle was associated with lower life satisfaction — even after accounting for gender, age, and socioeconomic status. Women on average were more likely to support this attitude, as were students from the less prestigious institution.

In the second study, 109 students completed the same tests twice, one month apart. The analysis showed that initial support for tang ping predicted a decline in life satisfaction one month later. At the same time, the initial level of satisfaction did not predict an increase in the "lying flat" attitude.

The authors conclude that abandoning aspirations may serve as a short-term mechanism for reducing pressure, but in the long term it is associated with a deterioration in psychological functioning.