Summary of the Core Content
The "Big Result" literary phenomenon originated as a peculiar approach in the realm of romance and dating, where women are encouraged to present themselves as sexual or emotional assets in order to attract higher-status men (represented by "A9/A10" indicating wealth). This concept has since been parodied by netizens in various contexts such as the workplace and personal development, highlighting the absurdity of seeking success through shortcuts and superficial packaging. At its core, it represents a variant of neoliberal success theories that treat individuals as interchangeable commodities, obscuring underlying structural issues and causing anxiety over unattainable goals while neglecting the reality of most people's lives that cannot be easily packaged.
1. The Evolution of "Big Result" Literature from Romance Jargon to a Nationwide Trend
Initially, "Big Result" was a tactic used by dating "mentors" to categorize women based on their appearance and define men as "A9" (with nine-figure assets) or "A10" (with ten-figure assets), suggesting that women could gain long-term material support from men through admiration and emotional engagement (under the guise of "long-term relationships"). When netizens realized the absurdity of this logic, they began to mock it:
- Gender roles were reversed—Yang Guo, a man from a lower social class, became an A10-level partner for a wealthy woman due to his charm and emotional appeal; Ho Hung-sam was mocked for marrying into wealth through his looks.
- This logic was applied everywhere: in the workplace, "managing upward" meant flattering bosses for better benefits; in entrepreneurship, it meant packaging oneself to attract investment. The purpose of the mockery was not to accept this logic but to highlight its manipulative and demeaning nature—turning people into commodities was just as ridiculous when applied to men.
2. The Brutal Truth of the Transaction Logic
The most offensive aspect of this rhetoric is that it reduces intimate relationships and personal growth to mere transactions, stripping away any pretense of dignity:
- Women were once encouraged to be virtuous and manage households; now, they are directly viewed as commodities to be traded for value.
- People are forced to conform to a standard of "eternal beauty," sacrificing their true aspirations and independence, and their ambitions are deemed "outdated" if they don't fit the mold. For example, in the movie *Burn*, the lower-class girl Hui Mei is seen by the wealthy as a useless asset that is ultimately destroyed.
3. The Anxiety Behind the Trend: "Projectized Existence" under Neoliberalism
Why has "Big Result" become so popular? It taps into a common dilemma in modern society:
- People are no longer just part of an organization but are expected to be their own CEOs, constantly optimizing themselves (e.g., by acquiring skills or networking) to avoid being eliminated.
- Work has become project-based, where one must continuously produce "results" (KPIs, performance metrics) to prove their value. The process is irrelevant; only tangible outcomes matter. As a result, everyone feels like they are waiting to be sold, fragmenting themselves into interchangeable elements (appearance, emotional intelligence, skills), always preparing for the next goal, never truly reaching a destination.
4. The Power of Parody in Debunking Success Theories
Netizens' mockery is more than just joking; it's a form of resistance:
- It exposes the absurdity of treating people as commodities, showing that this logic applies to both men and women equally.
- It challenges the notion that personal failure is due to poor methods, highlighting structural issues—such as how "upward networking" often serves to reinforce hierarchical structures and exploit lower-class individuals.
5. The Way Out: Rejecting Self-Presentation and Seeing People as Individuals
The solution lies in rejecting the pressure to present oneself in a competitive light and embracing authenticity:
- Stop viewing life through a competitive lens (e.g., feeling worthless unless you meet certain standards). Everyday moments have value regardless of how they are packaged.
- Be aware of the hardships others face—considering the labor involved in basic services and questioning the exploitative nature of systems like delivery platforms.
- Rebuild community by recognizing each other as individuals, not just commodities. Only then can we move beyond superficial interactions and connect on a more genuine level.
In conclusion: "Big Result" serves as a lubricant in a competitive society that encourages self-marketing but doesn't change the underlying power dynamics. What we truly need is to stop treating ourselves as commodities and connect with others on a human level, finding ways of interaction that transcend exchange logic.