There is one important key component to development and that is hunger. I am not simply talking from a physical perspective of wanting food on the table, but I am also talking about the psychological hunger to improve ones life. Once people get too full their motivation will wither and slowly a countries progress might follow.
When I came to China 15 years ago I witnessed a hunger I hadn't seen before. The eagerness of people to improve their financial situation was very impressive. In Sweden, where I came from, if for example something would break, it could take days before someone would have time to come to fix it. They would ask for a good price to fix it as well. In China when something breaks you basically just had to lift up your phone and someone would be knocking on your door within hours.
As we all know China is a communist country. Before it opened up to the outside, in the 1980s China was very far behind, and very poor in many aspects. Once Deng Xiao Ping opened the doors and said the words; "It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches the mice" a wave of change has swept over China that can't be compared to anything else in the world. From being a communist country where western objects and luxuries where rare it was suddenly available if you where willing to work for it. A switch was hit and the biggest population on earth started the race to a better future.
You are probably wondering why I am posting all these photos of this truck filled with Mandarins? Is it because it's also the language they Speak in China ? The reason is because the other day i passed by this truck and I started talking to the woman that was standing there selling this orange mountain. I asked her why there is so much Mandarins and where the Mandarins where harvested ? It is already winter here so I was surprised to see all these fruits. She told me the fruit had been driven from the very south of China where the climate is much warmer. She continued to explain that the season is already over here so she can sell them for a better price as the competition is much lower. I was impressed, and it's just one example of how people are always willing to work hard and to find opportunities to make some money.
In Sweden I think it would be hard to find anyone who would drive for three days to sell something. They would probably try to find someone else to do that for them. Someone who is more hungry. The fact is that if you look at the younger generation in Sweden a lot of people don't even agree to work at all. They stay at their parents place and play computer games and enjoys a relaxing life. Pretty darn boring if you ask me. I See dark clouds on the horizon because it seems that one big company after another is going bankrupt. Where did Ericsson Mobiles go ? What Happened with Volvo and Saab ? Well the two latter companies are bought up by Chinese. Will these companies have a better chance to survive in China ? Most certainly. I don't think there is anything wrong with the companies themselves. It's the people working for the companies that got too comfortable while other people where working around the clock. Why do they work around the clock ? Well the simple explanation is because they are more hungry.
I was not born with a silver spoon and I am very thankful for that. I learned early that if wanted something it was not simply going to be given to me, I would have to work for it. It's the way I want it to be, because in the end, what taste better than something you had to work hard for ?
