2023年快要結束，根據統計許多中國人的幸福感不如20年前。主要的痛苦源自房屋貸款、教育競爭、商業婚姻和醫療品質等問題。

在過去的20年裡，受到主流媒體和專家不斷吹捧的影響，房地產被視為無敵的金融產品，價格只升不降。於是許多人將所有資產都投入房地產，甚至抵押未來30年的幸福。近年來隨著恒大、壁桂園等公司的巨大危機，許多未完工的樓盤出現成為爛尾無法交屋，房價也經歷大幅修正。

目前中國的二三線城市的房產幾乎無人問津，貸款亂象的銀行未受到懲罰。那些口袋充盈的開發商早已將資金轉移到海外，準備享受富豪生活，而投入血汗錢的民眾卻受困其中，不得不按合同的規定償還高利貸款30年，否則將失去信用。

在70年代或80年代，那一代人確實相信通過知識可以改變命運。他們購買學區房，花錢請家教，讓孩子們上各種培訓班和課外活動，以為一旦成功進入名校，就能保證找到好的工作，賺取豐厚的薪水，而小孩之後也會每月給孝親費，貫徹養兒防老的理念。

如今，大學增加錄取名額，導致學歷氾濫。很多人都擁有大學學歷，攻讀在職碩士和博士學位成為必備。如今的碩士相當於早期的高中或大學學歷，很多孩子畢業後很快陷入失業，無謀生能力只能寄居在父母家，不僅不提供贍養老人費，還持續依賴父母撫養。

早期的男女關係是談戀愛後走向婚姻，而如今的交往更多是看中對方的條件，重點是對方能提供怎樣的生活，是否有車、房、彩禮以及陪嫁品等。有些家庭在婚禮過程中受到女方百般刁難，坐地起價要求額外的彩禮才會下車舉行儀式。所以許多男人不願意結婚，準備過“草食男”的生活，將錢花在自己身上或者去其他國家找對象就無需支付彩禮。

年輕人在22歲步入社會後，工作幾年也難以存下足夠的錢來滿足女方的需求，除非自己是北上廣出生的孩子，父母至少能送一兩套房產。如今，中國各行各業都面臨激烈的競爭，一有盈利模式出現，立刻湧現出一群競爭對手，賺錢變得異常困難。中國的婚姻門檻被抬高，導致結婚率極低，也引發少子化的危機。

在中國這個高度競爭的社會中，大多數人都拼命工作，導致晚年身體狀況不佳。一輩子辛苦掙來的錢最終都被花在醫院上。中國男人省吃儉用一生，可能換來一套無法交房的樓盤或市價大幅縮水的房產，養著依賴父母的孩子。自己不僅需要超負荷工作，還要照顧妻子和孩子。這樣的生活是否令人快樂？

As 2023 comes to an end, statistics indicate that the happiness levels of many Chinese people are not as high as they were 20 years ago. The primary sources of discontent stem from issues such as housing loans, educational competition, commercial marriages, and the quality of healthcare.

Over the past two decades, fueled by constant praise from mainstream media and experts, real estate has been considered an invincible financial product, with prices seemingly only rising. Consequently, many individuals invested all their assets in real estate, even mortgaging their happiness for the next 30 years. In recent years, with the crises of companies like Evergrande and Country Garden, many unfinished properties have become abandoned projects, and housing prices have undergone significant corrections.

Currently, properties in China's second and third-tier cities are almost unsellable, and banks involved in the chaos of loans have not faced penalties. Wealthy developers have already transferred their funds overseas, preparing to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, while the hardworking individuals who invested their blood and sweat find themselves trapped, obliged to repay high-interest loans over 30 years, or risk losing their credit.

In the 1970s or 1980s, that generation truly believed that knowledge could change their destinies. They purchased homes in sought-after school districts, hired tutors, enrolled their children in various training courses and extracurricular activities, thinking that success in gaining admission to prestigious schools would ensure good jobs with lucrative salaries. Children were expected to pay monthly allowances as a form of filial support, following the principle of raising children for old age.

Today, with the increase in university admissions, academic qualifications have become saturated. Many people hold university degrees, and pursuing a part-time master's or doctoral degree has become a necessity. Nowadays, a master's degree is equivalent to the early stages of high school or university education. Many young graduates quickly find themselves unemployed and lacking the skills to make a living. They end up residing with their parents, not only failing to provide financial support to their elders but also continuously relying on their parents for sustenance.

In the past, relationships between men and women evolved from dating to marriage. However, contemporary relationships often focus more on the other person's conditions, particularly their ability to provide a certain lifestyle, including owning a car, property, dowry, and other assets. Some families face difficulties during wedding ceremonies, with the bride's side making unreasonable demands for additional dowry before allowing the ceremony to proceed. Consequently, many men are hesitant to marry and opt for a "grass-eating man" lifestyle, spending money on themselves or seeking partners in other countries where they are not required to pay a dowry.

After entering the workforce at the age of 22, young people find it challenging to save enough money to meet the demands of potential partners, unless they were born in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, where parents can at least provide one or two properties. Nowadays, various industries in China face fierce competition, and as soon as a profitable model emerges, a swarm of competitors immediately appears, making earning money exceptionally difficult. The high marriage threshold in China has led to an extremely low marriage rate, contributing to a crisis of declining birthrates.

In this highly competitive society in China, most people work tirelessly, resulting in poor health in their later years. The money earned through a lifetime of hard work often ends up being spent in hospitals. Chinese men, who scrimped and saved throughout their lives, may end up with a property that cannot be delivered or a significantly devalued real estate asset, supporting children who rely on their parents. Such a life, filled with overwork while caring for a wife and children, raises the question of whether it brings happiness.