Buddha, lying down, going crazy and being indifferent

Recently, the discussion about i-people and e-people has been very hot, but recently a description of "light people" has appeared. Let's learn about "light people" together~

Are you an i-person or an e-person?

Sorry, this joke is outdated. I am a layman.

In this noisy world, the "indifferent people" are like a group of advanced masters of indifference. Their philosophy of life is: if life gives you a lemon, put it aside and continue to drink your boiled water.

When they go to work, it is like participating in a game without prizes. Others are scrambling for the first place, but they don't care. They have abilities, but they are never in a hurry to show them. It's like leisurely playing a game of chess without an opponent.

The social circle of the indifferent may be smaller than the eye circles of a panda. At a party, they are like murals on the wall, observing quietly, nodding and smiling occasionally, but never jumping into the noisy dance floor.

The life of the indifferent is like a TV series without climax. They pursue the kind of dullness that does not appear in TV series, and their daily life is like a replay of yesterday's episode.

The words of indifferent people are always hard to understand. Their "never mind" can be the deepest agreement or the coldest rejection. Their expressions are managed more strictly than state secrets.

Work is light, social interaction is light, life is light, spirit is light, and talking is light.

They are like a breeze in life, maintaining a nonchalant attitude towards many things, which makes people admire and feel helpless. In their own way, they tell the world: It’s not that they don’t care, but they care too much.

After iRen and FaChuan, Danren and Danxue became new Internet hot spots. Judging from the frequency of Internet memes, the emergence of Danren is not new, as similar concepts have existed in the past.

1. From being a Buddhist, lying flat, going crazy to being indifferent

The earliest word that comes close to the concept of "淡人" is the word "佛系". The word "佛系" originated in Japan and originally meant to describe people who take a Buddhist, relaxed and indifferent attitude towards life. The word became popular in China in 2017 and soon became a hot topic among young people.

The so-called "Buddhist" youth refers to those who pursue inner peace, do not work too hard, and have a more leisurely attitude towards life. At that time, the society generally advocated the values ​​of hard work and striving for progress, but the "Buddhist" youth were particularly different. They did not fight or compete, did not over-pursue the improvement of material and social status, and paid more attention to inner peace and satisfaction.

This attitude could be seen as a counter-trend mentality at the time, reflecting a certain degree of reflection and adjustment of the mainstream values ​​of society by some young people.

In 2018, the game "Travel Frog" became a typical example of the popularity of "Buddhist" culture. This game quickly became popular among young people with its simple game mechanism and "unhurried" game experience. In the game, the player plays the role of a frog owner, responsible for preparing travel supplies, and then the frog will travel by itself. During this period, the player cannot intervene and can only wait for the frog to return and share the travel experience and the small gifts it brought back.

This relaxing and surprising gaming experience fits perfectly with the lifestyle pursued by “Buddhist” youths, that is, being neither impatient nor anxious, letting nature take its course, and enjoying every bit of peace and joy in life.

In 2021, the term "lying flat" quickly became popular on Chinese social networks and became a widely discussed social phenomenon. The concept was first proposed by young people to express their resistance and dissatisfaction with social high pressure, excessive competition, and endless involution (a phenomenon in which people keep doubling their efforts to gain a small advantage, which ultimately leads to everyone working hard but with little reward).

Lying flat advocates a kind of selective giving up. It means no longer blindly pursuing success as defined by the mainstream society, such as career advancement, high income and material consumption, but pursuing a simple, low-desire lifestyle to reduce the stress and anxiety of life.

The meaning behind lying flat is not only a personal choice of lifestyle, but also reflects the reflection and thinking of the younger generation on the current social environment. Faced with the fierce job market, high housing prices, and the society's rigid requirements for personal success, lying flat has become a self-protection mechanism and a direct protest against the involutionary culture and endless competition. By choosing "non-participation", the lying flat people try to regain the initiative in life, emphasizing the importance of spiritual satisfaction and personal happiness, rather than the accumulation of external materials.

In 2023, "crazy literature" set off a wave of craze on social networks. People began to express their emotions and attitudes in an exaggerated and self-deprecating way, such as going crazy on daily basis, going crazy on holidays, going crazy at work. This seemingly absurd way of self-expression is not only a true portrayal of the individual's mentality under pressure and contradictions, but has also gradually become a popular form of decompression.

"Going crazy" is a kind of cultural consciousness in the context of the times. It reflects the self-mockery of modern people towards the pressure of life. Although the emotions of going crazy are much more intense than those of being indifferent, the core of letting go of reserve, releasing pressure and rebelling is the same as that of being indifferent.

At the beginning of 2024, the sudden popularity of the word "Danren" caused the concept of "anti-struggle" to be discussed again. The reason why the word "Danren" became popular is as follows.

First of all, the "indifferent" culture reflects the powerlessness of young people in the current social environment.

In today's era of internal competition, even if you work hard, you may not be able to achieve the secular standards of success, such as high income, a degree from a prestigious university, or an enviable position.

This phenomenon has caused many young people to reflect on whether they should pursue a life that is more peaceful and in line with their true needs, and reduce emotional consumption. Danren culture, with its emphasis on inner peace and indifference to material pursuits, provides an answer to such reflections.

Secondly, the culture of Danren is in line with the philosophy of contemporary young people who pursue a simple life.

In the current era of consumerism, minimalism is an anti-consumerism attitude towards life. Its core concept is "less is more", which emphasizes improving the quality of life by reducing material possessions. Minimalists embody this philosophy. They find inner peace and satisfaction by simplifying their lives and removing unnecessary material and psychological burdens. This philosophy echoes people's current desire for a simple and pure life.

Third, Tanren has become the new social currency.

In recent years, if your friends ask you whether you are an i-person or an e-person and you don’t understand what it means, it will be difficult for you to fit in. This kind of online gossip has actually become social currency. The same is true for indifferent people. Many people consider themselves indifferent people, but they may not be truly indifferent people. They just want to keep up with the trend and not look out of date.

From being a Buddhist, lying flat, going crazy to being indifferent, it reflects that young people are gradually abandoning the secular concept of success in the past and choosing the pursuit of inner peace and personal happiness. This series of cultural phenomena is not only a change in individual choices, but also a reflection of the change in people's mentality during the social transformation period.

2. How can brands leverage the popularity of the industry for marketing?

Each round of the rise of Internet culture can trigger many brands to follow up with marketing. I have written about how brands can do i-person marketing and crazy marketing. Next, I will talk about how to do marketing related to light people.

The key to indifferent marketing is how to utilize the positive side of this word, such as the pursuit of simplicity, inner peace, self-identity, etc. Brands can start from brand concepts, products, content and other aspects.

1. Create brand resonance

Danren culture emphasizes a simple, peaceful lifestyle that focuses on inner experience, which is consistent with the concepts of many brands themselves, and brands can use this to resonate with consumers.

For example, IKEA, by providing furniture with simple design and environmentally friendly materials, and advocating a lifestyle of rational use of space, fits in with the culture of the Tan people who pursue simple life and environmental awareness. IKEA's marketing activities can focus on how to create a living environment that is both simple and comfortable, in response to the lifestyle and attitude pursued by the Tan people.

MUJI often promotes a minimalist lifestyle through its "less is more" philosophy. MUJI design consultant Kenya Hara used a phrase to explain the concept of MUJI products: "It's not necessary, but it's good to be like this." "It's good to be like this" can be said to reflect MUJI's brand concept of simplicity and moderation.

MUJI's print advertisements have no fancy designs or deliberate showmanship, but instead pursue a natural and simple value system.

For example, in his most representative work "Horizon", Kenya Hara believes that "this visual work shows the existence of MUJI, telling people that consumers can freely experience and define MUJI by themselves without any restrictions."

In the work “Water”, Kenya Hara proposed the idea that MUJI should be “like water”, “that is, it should enter different life cultures unconsciously and become an indispensable part of them. It is not advocating anything, nor covering anything with the characteristics of MUJI.”

These concepts are in line with Tanren's pursuit, and the concept and style of the MUJI brand are exactly what Tanren likes.

Of course, other similar brands can do the same consumer communication, such as yoga and meditation brands that are more directly connected to the inner peace and self-identity emphasized in Dan culture. These brands help people find inner peace and balance by providing yoga classes, meditation guidance and related healthy living products.

Their marketing strategy can revolve around themes of inner growth and self-discovery, encouraging consumers to explore themselves through the practice of yoga and meditation, to achieve spiritual calmness and self-transcendence, which coincides with the life philosophy of Tan people who pursue inner peace and self-satisfaction.

2. Launch customized products

The core characteristics of the Danren culture are the pursuit of a simple, natural and authentic lifestyle, emphasizing inner peace and satisfaction rather than material luxury and external recognition. Therefore, the Danren are often suitable for products that can meet basic needs, do not over-consume, and are environmentally friendly. Brands can launch customized products for this purpose.

For example, catering brands can launch "light meals" - focusing on healthy, simple and nutritionally balanced meals, using organic ingredients, emphasizing the natural taste of food rather than over-seasoning, which not only satisfies people's pursuit of healthy eating, but also reflects respect for nature and the environment.

Beverage brands can launch "light drinks without additives" such as natural fruit juice, herbal tea, etc., avoiding the use of artificial additives and excessive sugar, and satisfying consumers' drinking needs in the form closest to nature. This not only caters to the concept of light people pursuing a simple and pure life, but also expresses the brand's emphasis on health and environmental responsibility.

Beauty brands can launch a series of "light makeup" products, emphasizing light and breathable makeup effects that enhance the natural beauty of the skin rather than heavy covering. Such products can focus on skin care and improving skin quality, using the least amount of cosmetics to achieve the best makeup effect, in line with the natural and real aesthetic standards advocated by light people.

Through these customized products, the brand can not only meet the actual needs of ordinary consumers, but also convey the brand's support and advocacy for a simple and healthy lifestyle.

3. Do a good job in content marketing

If a brand cannot directly launch customized products to please Danren culture, it can also conduct targeted content marketing to resonate with Danren culture and attract the attention of the target consumer group.

Brands can guide people on how to find their own quiet corner in a high-pressure work environment and fast-paced life through articles, video series, podcasts or social media, and naturally integrate their products into these contents to show how the products can help consumers achieve peace of mind and simplify their lives.

For example, a home furnishing brand can share how to use its minimalist style furniture to create a relaxing home environment and help consumers find inner peace at home.

Brands can also emphasize the emotional values ​​represented by "simple people" in their marketing content, such as peace, satisfaction and self-identity. For example, brands can create story-driven content that tells how real people find happiness and satisfaction through simple living, or how to gain true self-identity through an attitude of indifference to fame and fortune. This type of content can touch people's hearts and make consumers feel that the brand is not just selling products, but also sharing a life attitude and values.

In addition, brands can also deepen this emotional connection by holding online or offline events, such as yoga classes, meditation workshops or simple life sharing sessions, which are all good ways to connect with target consumers. Through these activities, brands can not only show their understanding and support for minimalist culture, but also provide a platform for consumers to practice this lifestyle.

3. Conclusion

From "Buddhism" to "indifferent people", it reflects the evolution of the life attitude and values ​​of the younger generation. This transition not only reflects people's increasing emphasis on inner peace and personal happiness, but also reflects the influence and shaping of the social environment on individual lifestyles.

The reason why Danren culture became popular on the Internet in a short period of time is essentially because it touches the deepest desires of contemporary people - to find peace and satisfaction in the fast-paced, high-pressure modern life, and to pursue a more authentic and meaningful lifestyle.

The popularity of Danren culture provides new perspectives and opportunities for brand marketing. Brands can deeply understand the values ​​and life attitudes behind Danren culture and combine the characteristics of their own products and services to carry out targeted marketing strategy planning. Whether by launching customized products that conform to the Danren life philosophy or telling stories that match the Danren spirit through content marketing, brands can establish a closer connection with consumers at the emotional level and enhance brand image and consumer loyalty.

Author: Xunkong

Source: WeChat public account "Xunkong's Marketing Revelation (ID: xunkong2005)"