The society at present has witnessed a sharp increase in the number of homebodies since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of focusing on outdoor activities, these young people prefer indoor activities than interacting with people outside. People in the real world, they claimed, are never flawless or patient enough, yet chatting online can nicely tackle this problem as it is easy to conceal our true feelings with those colorful profile photos.

These days, it is the lack of patience resulted from an increasing amount of fragmented information, far more than differences between individuals or the outbreak of the pandemic that puts sand in the wheels of interactions between folks in the modern society. A young man addicted to the internet is likely to refuse his friends’ invitation to a restaurant, while a girl who loves watching soap-operas, once finds that a new season will have its premiere soon, can abandon her plan of shopping with her roommate instantly. This increases the tension and loneliness between individuals, and reduces correspondingly their intention to understand someone further. This book is composed against the backdrop of this sort.

As it happens, merely a small amount of people are inclined to live alone by nature. So, ask people who suffer from consequences of the increasing tension, why should people be so intoxicated with the world indoors? From my perspective, people may be classified into two classes: one, those who love to live in seclusion; and secondly, those who choose to live in seclusion. Of these the former are the minority. They tended to be, as history tells us, poets and artists, who were fortune’s favored children and who enjoyed the life of countryside. As for the second class, they are less lucky to some degree. Some of them choose to live alone for financial burdens, yet some choose to do so for pressure at work place. They become less interested in catering to other’s feelings, and show no sign at present of reproduction. The only thing they want after work is to immerse themselves completely into the virtual world, discarding all those unhappy thoughts that haunting his brain.

It is understandable to behave this way, yet it’s also essential for us to realize that our lives are still proceeding ahead. Probably, we need to view our pressures more positively and regard them as footstones rather than obstacles or hinderances. Now, step out of your door and enjoy the fresh air.