Despite student’s remarks, poverty is not to be thanked

WANG XINYI, an 18-year-old woman who has been enrolled by Peking University, one of China’s top universities, after doing well in the national college entrance exam said in a recent article: “Thank you poverty.” Beijing News comments:

“Although it narrows my vision, stabs my self-esteem, and even takes the lives of my loved ones indirectly, I still want to say, thank you, poverty,” Wang wrote.

The state of “working hard, being hungry, and living with lack” is not worthy of praise and encouragement. What is worthy of praise is Wang’s own efforts to improve her life and that of her family. People should realize that Wang was admitted to Peking University, not because her family was poor, but because she was tenacious in her efforts to improve her future. Her admission to the university was the result of her own hard work, not the result of her poverty.

It is misleading for some media outlets to try and cook a bowl of chicken soup for the soul using Wang’s story. They said that poverty is the cause of her success and persuaded people to be happy with their current conditions if they are poor.

What kind of absurd logic is that? Wang did well in the national college entrance exam, not because she comes from a poor family, but because she has made efforts for her own improvement. She admitted that poverty has limited her imagination and creativity, instead of stimulating them.

Some say poverty inspired her to work hard. No. It is her strong will that helped her to work hard, not poverty. If she had better conditions, she might have made even higher achievements.

Wang’s words should urge people to make greater efforts to alleviate poverty. There are still large numbers of poor children who could have received higher education, but failed because their families are poor. It is urgent to prevent young talents like Wang’s kind from being held back by poverty.