“Have you eaten your rice?” “你吃了饭吗?”

In the past, it is common among the Chinese to ask one another, “Have you eaten your rice?” Indeed, it is a form of survival concern directed towards the one receiving the question. In a resource-lacking society, having rice inside the bowl is a blessing. In such a context, people are satisfied by just filling their stomachs.

As the society becomes more affluent, the people have shifted the above question to be, “How is the food?” Now their concern is not survival but a better quality of living. They want to have delicious and healthy food. They could afford to have a so-called higher standard of living.

Owing to the shift, people have become much busier than before, as well as getting into never ending pursuit of higher standard of living. Since many people have moved from struggling for survival to a pursuit of higher standard of living, shouldn’t they be a bit more farsighted by exploring what is beyond such desired living?

过去，华人见面时会问対方：”你吃饭了吗?” 这是一个关注被问者的生存问题。在一个资源短缺的社会，有一碗饭乃是福。在此状况，人只要能填满肚子就满足了。

当社会成为富足，人已经更改上述问题为”食物如何?” 现在关注的不再是生存，而是更好素质的生活。他们要享有可口及健康的食物。他们已经可以承受所谓更高的生活水平。因为改变了关注点，人们比以前忙了，也投入了持续地追求更高的生活水平。

既然许多人已经由生存的争扎进入追求高生活水平，難道他们不应有一点远见以探索什么是能超越所期待的生活呢？