"China is more prosperous than before. The people have better lives but they are not happy and confident because the scars are still there"

Jung Chang’s observation draws attention to the paradox that can arise when material improvement in a society does not automatically lead to emotional fulfillment or psychological well-being. She points out that China, having experienced significant economic growth, now offers its people greater prosperity and higher living standards. Many Chinese today have access to better housing, food, education, and opportunities than earlier generations could have imagined. On the surface, these advancements would seem to guarantee a happier populace, free from the anxieties of poverty and insecurity.

However, Chang highlights that deeper and less visible wounds persist beneath the surface. The reference to “scars” alludes to the traumatic experiences etched into the collective memory of the Chinese people, events such as the Cultural Revolution, the Great Leap Forward, political persecutions, and decades of social upheaval. These events left not only physical but profound psychological scars, manifesting as generational trauma, suppressed fears, and pervasive mistrust. Even amid material abundance, such scars linger, influencing individual and societal attitudes toward trust, authority, ambition, and self-expression.

The statement also addresses contemporary issues of happiness and confidence. Despite being better off materially, people may still feel vulnerable or anxious, perhaps fearing the fragility of their gains or the unpredictability of political shifts. A lack of open dialogue about the nation’s historical traumas can mean that psychological wounds remain unhealed, preventing people from fully embracing their newfound prosperity with trust and optimism. Emotional well-being is rooted not just in material comfort but also in a sense of security, freedom, and understanding of one’s past.

Jung Chang’s words suggest that genuine progress for a society requires attention to both the outer, economic dimensions of prosperity and the inner, emotional healing of its people. True confidence and happiness depend not just on improved living conditions, but on reckoning with, and healing from, the shadows of history.