In today’s China, we see many disturbing phenomena: local governments refuse to pay project fees despite legally binding contracts; officials openly engage in corruption for personal gain; monks visit brothels without shame; doctors prioritize profit over patients’ lives; farmers sell pesticide-overdosed vegetables in the market…
Faith has collapsed, and most people are simply surviving.
In an era of rapid technological iteration and ongoing reconstruction of social order, the spiritual pillars that once supported individuals are gradually disintegrating. How to rebuild a personal system of faith amid this collapse has become a life question every ordinary person must face.
I. The Nature of Faith: From Power Construction to Individual Disorientation
Tracing the origins of faith, we find that faith was deeply intertwined with the maintenance of social order from the very beginning—faith started as a product of power. This is the underlying logic of how belief systems were constructed throughout human civilization.
In ancient, information-poor societies, whether it was Confucian ethics, Buddhist karma, or Taoist natural law, the essence remained the same: creating unified value standards to enable unified governance.
Emperors selected Confucian-aligned scholars through imperial examinations; religious leaders unified followers through doctrine; ordinary people sought psychological security in the idea of “divine authority” and “retribution for good and evil.” Even though this security often coexisted with coercion, such a power-driven faith system maintained remarkable stability in agricultural societies.
People lacked the means to break existing cognitive frameworks; they simply followed established order—much like a child in a “sensitive period for order,” clinging to fixed rules for safety. Society resembled a set track, and people spent their whole lives walking along it.
However, with technological revolutions and the rise of the internet, this once-solid system began to crack.
When transparent information shattered monopolies;
when corruption behind educational doctrines was exposed;
when the promise of “study hard and you will succeed” broke under the weight of housing prices and burnout;
when formerly unquestionable authority became timid under public scrutiny…
People suddenly realized that the order they once believed in was carefully constructed illusion.
This cognitive disillusionment naturally led to the collapse of faith.
The shock resembles a child discovering that the perfect red apple has already been bitten—one’s sense of certainty in the world collapses instantly.
II. The Reality of Collapse: From Self-Discipline to “Just Surviving”
After losing faith, the life trajectories of ordinary people began to shift. A mode of existence defined by “just staying alive” is spreading across society.
Young office workers endure 996 schedules, endless mortgages, and taking the blame for others. They once believed effort could bring success, only to find they are insignificant components in a giant machine.
Students raised on the idea that “grades determine your future” now face unemployment upon graduation, swinging between overworking and giving up.
Veteran employees have witnessed that “connections outweigh competence, and flattery beats sincerity.” Many have abandoned the professional ethics they once held dear, choosing instead to stay silent and protect themselves.
Behind these phenomena lies the disintegration of the entire belief system: old standards are shattered, new ones have not yet formed, and individuals must navigate basic survival in the chaos.
In the past, information was scarce and people followed authority naturally. Today, with universal internet access, the shadows behind moral doctrines are widely exposed. Once the mask is torn apart, it is impossible to return to the comfort of ignorance.
III. Life as the Foundation: The Destination of Faith Is Not a Symbol but Life Itself
Facing the collapse of faith, many people wonder:
Can one live well without faith?
The truth is—human beings survived for millions of years before sophisticated belief systems existed. Even today, despite confusion and disorientation, workers still go to their jobs on time, and life continues.
This shows that:
The ultimate destination of faith is not an abstract symbol—it is life itself.
Whether ancient religion or modern values, if a system cannot improve everyday life, it loses its meaning.
Those who use faith as a tool for exploitation distort its essence; those who respond to collapsed beliefs by numbing themselves misunderstand the relationship between faith and life.
Faith is meant to serve life, not dominate it.
As Romain Rolland said,
“There is only one true heroism: to love life after seeing its truth.”
True faith is not blind worship of an external ideal—it is a firm love for life itself.
A street vendor selling stinky tofu keeps her stall not to defy the system, but to save costs and support her family.
Burned-out workers persist not because they believe in meritocracy, but because they need to pay mortgages and raise children.
Teachers who continue preparing lessons amid educational anxiety do so to help students feel the power of knowledge.
These small yet sincere acts form the foundation of real, grounded faith.
IV. Breaking Before Rebuilding: How to Reconstruct Personal Faith
The collapse of faith is not purely negative. Something must break before something new can be built. The disintegration of old belief systems creates room for new ones.
Rebuilding faith does not mean finding a new universal doctrine. It means constructing a personal spiritual framework centered on life itself.
1. Accept Impermanence
The only constant in the world is change.
Old beliefs collapse partly because they attempt to confront a fluid world with fixed standards.
Accepting impermanence means acknowledging complexity and uncertainty, abandoning the search for an absolute truth, and adjusting one’s cognition with reality.
2. Accumulate Meaning through Small Moments of Happiness
After the collapse of grand narratives, people easily fall into nihilism. But meaning has never come from grand narratives—it grows from small, concrete joys:
The smile of a returning customer,
the calmness of receiving a paycheck,
the satisfaction of solving a tough problem…
These tiny yet real moments create the strength to move forward.
3. Build a Self-Owned System of Belief
Past belief systems were mostly imposed from above.
A new belief system must be self-constructed:
Not to please others,
Not to maintain an image,
But to live more freely and more genuinely.
It may come from responsibility, passion for work, family, personal growth, or simply the desire to live each day with dignity.
Real faith is internal, not external.
Conclusion: Faith Is Not in the Sky, but Under Our Feet
The collapse of faith is not frightening; sinking after the collapse is.
What matters is not whether faith exists, but how you rebuild yourself in its ruins.
Life does not require perfect belief systems. It requires:
A lighthouse grounded in reality,
Courage fueled by love and purpose,
And serenity built on acceptance.
When we stop obsessing over the “correct faith” and focus on living better;
When we actively build our own inner support;
When we face hardship like a chick breaking out of its shell—
We realize:
Faith has never been the distant stars—it has always been the living ground beneath our feet.
As long as we continue to live earnestly and strive for our lives,
faith never truly disappears.
原文
在信仰的废墟上重建生活
在当今的中国，我们发现很多现象，地方政府可以不按所签合同支付工程款、官员可以为一已私利贪污受贿、和尚可以明目张胆地去嫖娼、医生为了效益不顾病人的死活、农民种的农药超标菜拿到市场卖……信仰已经崩塌，大多数人只是活着。在科技迭代加速、社会秩序重构的当下，曾经支撑人们前行的精神支柱正逐渐解体。而如何在崩塌的废墟上，重建属于个体的信仰，成为每个普通人必须面对的人生课题。
一、信仰的本质：从权力建构到个体迷失
追溯信仰的源头，我们会发现：信仰诞生之初便与社会秩序的维系紧密相连——信仰一开始就是权力的产物。这是人类文明史上信仰建构的底层逻辑。
在信息闭塞的古代社会，无论儒家倡导的君臣父子伦理，还是佛教的因果轮回、道教的道法自然，本质上都是为了将统一的价值标准植入民众，以便实现统一管理。
皇帝通过科举筛选认同儒家的人才；宗教领袖借教义凝聚信众；底层民众则在“君权神授、善恶有报”的体系中寻求生存的安全感。尽管这种安全感背后是“刀架在脖子上”的被动，但在生产力低下、信息不流通的农耕社会，这种由权力主导的信仰体系展现出惊人的稳定性。
人们难以突破既定认知，只能紧跟社会秩序，就像幼儿处于秩序敏感期——执着于固定摆放的安全感。彼时，社会像轨道，人们世代沿着它重复生活。
然而，随着科技革命与互联网的到来，原本牢固的信仰体系开始裂开。
当信息透明打破垄断；
当教育背后权力寻租的阴暗面被揭露；
当“好好学习就能成功”的承诺被房价与内卷击碎；
当过去说一不二的权威在文明执法的要求下变得谨小慎微……
人们突然发现：过去深信不疑的秩序，不过是一场精心设计。认知被颠覆，信仰自然崩塌。
那种震撼，就像幼儿发现红苹果被咬了一口——世界的确定性瞬间毁灭。
二、信仰崩塌的现实图景：从克己奉公到“活着就好”
信仰迷失后，普通人的生活轨迹出现了深刻的变化——一种“活着就好”的生存状态正在蔓延。
写字楼里的年轻人承受996的压榨、还不完的房贷、背不完的锅。他们曾相信努力就能成功，却最终发现自己只是社会机器中微不足道的零件。
学生从小被灌输“分数决定未来”，却在毕业后面对“毕业即失业”，在卷不动与摆烂之间反复摇摆。
职场老人见证了“实干不如关系、真诚不如圆滑”，也放弃了曾经坚守的职业信念，只求明哲保身。
这些现象背后，是信仰体系的全面崩塌：旧标准被打碎，新标准尚未建立。个体在混乱中，只能摸索最基本的生存法则。
过去信息闭塞，大家紧跟秩序；如今人人上网，仁义礼智信背后的阴暗面不断被揭开。当信仰的伪装被撕裂后，人们自然无法回到过去那种“无知的安稳”。
三、生活为本：信仰的归宿不是符号，而是生活本身
面对信仰崩塌，许多人迷惘：没有信仰，还能活吗？
事实上——没有信仰，人类依然照样生存了几百万年。即便在当下的迷茫时代，打工人仍按时上班，生活照常运转。
这说明：
信仰的终极归宿从不是抽象符号，而是生活本身。
古代宗教也好，现代价值观也罢，只要不能服务于“让生活更好”，它就会失去意义。
那些把信仰当成掠夺武器的人，是对信仰的扭曲；而因信仰崩塌而摆烂麻木的人，则是完全误解了信仰与生活的关系。
信仰只是为生活服务，而非生活的全部。
罗曼·罗兰说：
“世界上只有一种英雄主义，那就是在认清生活的真相之后，依然热爱生活。”
真正的信仰，不是盲目崇拜，而是坚定地热爱生活本身。
卖臭豆腐的大姐坚持摆摊，是为了节省成本让家人过得更好；打工人在内卷下坚持上班，是为了房贷和孩子的成长；教师在焦虑中依然备课，是为了让学生感到知识的力量。
这些微小却真实的坚持，构成了生活的信仰。
四、不破不立：在废墟中重建个体的信仰
信仰崩塌不是坏事。不破不立，旧信仰的解体反而为新信仰让路。
重建信仰的关键，不是寻找新的统一符号，而是构建属于个人的、以生活为核心的精神支柱。
1. 接纳无常
世界唯一不变的就是变化。过去信仰崩塌，是因为人们用固定价值应对不断变化的时代。
接纳无常，就是承认世界的复杂性，而不是执着于某种绝对正确。
2. 在小确幸中积累生活的意义
信仰崩塌后，人容易陷入虚无主义。但生活的意义从来不是宏大叙事，而是小确幸累积而成：
老顾客的笑容、工资到账的安心、解题成功的喜悦……
微小但真实，构成了前行的力量。
3. 树立为自己而活的自主信仰
过去的信仰大多是被强加的，而新的信仰必须是自主建立的：
不是为了迎合别人；
不是为了维护人设；
而是为了让自己活得更自在。
它可以是家庭、事业、热爱、责任，甚至是一种简单的生活追求。
真正的信仰来自内心，而不是外界的灌输。
结语：信仰不在天上，而在脚下
信仰崩塌并不可怕，可怕的是在崩塌后沉沦。
重要的不是信仰是否存在，而是你在废墟上如何重建自己。
生活不需要完美的信仰，它需要的是：
以生活为本的灯塔；
以热爱为燃料的勇气；
以接纳为基石的从容。
当我们不再执着“正确的信仰”，而是专注“更好的生活”；
当我们主动建构属于自己的精神支柱；
当我们像小鸡破壳一样勇敢面对困境——
我们就会发现：
信仰从来不是遥不可及的星空，而是脚下踏实的生活本身。只要我们还在认真活着，还在为生活努力，信仰就从未真正消失。
