人生的一切都可以外包吗？Can everything in life be outsourced?

Sep 13

尽管物质财富增加了、外包产业发达了，但我们的精神世界却在萎缩。我觉得，外包还是需要有度，毕竟生活的核心其实由那些无法外包的瞬间组成。

这三年，吃进肚子里的蔬菜都来自自家菜地，四面竹林、银杏林环绕，不施化肥、不打农药，和虫子、野鸟共享果实和叶子。夏天丝瓜和秋葵长得茂盛，随手摘几根，清水下锅煮熟，清甜嫩滑。

For the past three years, the vegetables I’ve eaten have all come from my own garden, surrounded by bamboo and ginkgo groves. No chemical fertilizers, no pesticides—just sharing the produce with insects and wild birds. In the summer, the loofah and okra grow abundantly. A quick harvest and a simple boil in fresh water reveal their natural sweetness and tenderness.

市场上很难买到这样安全的蔬菜，无论是生鲜还是熟食。规模化种植者为了产量和利润就无法避免有害的化肥农药，许多散户农民因为缺乏知识而滥用化肥农药；有些运输者为了保证蔬菜能够高温天气中维持卖相，喷洒致癌的福尔马林……哪怕是贴有有机标签的蔬菜，也无法保证是100%有机（包括欧盟和美国）种植过程本身难以监管，仍有可能使用诸多肥料与杀虫剂，而且有些地区的有机认证猫腻很多。外卖更是无法规避“科技与狠活”，有些商家为了防止客户吃了腐败食物而腹泻，竟然放入庆大霉素，这是致聋的处方药。因此，想要吃到安全的食物，尽量不要外包，外包环节越多，安全隐患越高。

It’s almost impossible to find such safe vegetables in the market, whether fresh or cooked. Large-scale producers, driven by yield and profit, can’t avoid harmful fertilizers and pesticides. Many small farmers overuse chemicals due to lack of knowledge. Some transporters even spray carcinogenic formaldehyde to maintain the appearance of vegetables during hot weather. Even organic-labeled vegetables, in both the EU and the US, can’t guarantee 100% organic purity. The growing process is hard to regulate, and non-synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are often used, with some certifications being riddled with loopholes. As for takeout food, it’s often worse: in some cases, restaurants add dangerous chemicals like gentamicin, a prescription drug that can cause deafness, to prevent customers from getting food poisoning. So, if you want truly safe food, it’s better not to outsource it. The more you outsource, the higher the risk.

工业社会的确带来了些许便利，让个体能够外包私人生活，节省下杂务时间，提高专业化分工的的效率。但是，我不禁好奇，私人生活外包程度越高越好吗？人生所有事情都可以外包吗？

The industrial age has undoubtedly brought us convenience, allowing individuals to outsource parts of their personal lives, saving time for chores, and increasing efficiency through specialization. But it begs the question: Is more outsourcing always better? Can everything in life be outsourced?

首先，健身等活动无法外包，就算请一个训练有素的教练，也没有人能代替自己练，自己做了动作，蜜桃臀、马甲线才会长在自己身上。

First, physical activities like exercise can’t be outsourced. Even with a well-trained coach, no one can work out for you. Only by doing the exercises yourself will you see the results—stronger muscles, a toned body.

第二，家庭关系、情感陪伴也是如此。父母由于忙于生计，只好把孩子的教育外包给学校、培训机构，但谁也没办法替代父母的高质量陪伴，父母扮演了塑造孩子品格底色的关键角色，过度外包的最坏结果是亲子关系疏离。亲密关系也无法外包，再多昂贵礼物也无法弥补缺失的时间。

Second, family relationships and emotional connection are in the same boat. Busy parents often outsource their children’s education to schools and training centers, but nothing can replace the quality time that only parents can provide. Parents play a critical role in shaping their children’s character, and too much outsourcing can lead to a distant parent-child relationship. The same goes for romantic relationships—no amount of expensive gifts can make up for the absence of time spent together.

第三，对于成年人来说，有些极其私人的事情一旦外包，可能会怀疑自己存在的意义。这也是为什么高龄老人一旦无法自理，最直接的感受是没了尊严，不到不得已，老人总会坚持独立大小便。

Third, for adults, outsourcing deeply personal tasks can lead to a loss of meaning in life. That’s why many elderly people insist on maintaining their independence for as long as possible. When they can no longer take care of themselves, the most immediate feeling is a loss of dignity. Most seniors will hold on to their independence, even when it comes to something as basic as using the bathroom on their own.

第四，个人品牌也是同理，它就像是自传，如果把创意过程外包，那么很可能失去自己独特的声音，毕竟没有人穿着你的鞋子走过和你一模一样的路，把自己的故事拱手让给他人书写，那最终得到的可能是个四不像。

Fourth, personal branding follows the same logic. It’s like an autobiography. If you outsource the creative process, you might lose your unique voice. After all, no one has walked the exact same path in your shoes. Handing over your story for someone else to write might leave you with something unrecognizable.

社会学家霍克希尔德曾提出，当我们把诸多生活内容甚至私人情感都外包给外人来打理时，我们便不再是生活的主角，我们失去了生活乐趣和情感链接。而可悲的是，这些节省下来的时间没有转化为个人的享受与休闲，反而被投入到更多的工业生产中，以追求更多经济收益。

Sociologist Arlie Hochschild once pointed out that when we outsource much of our lives—even our emotions—to others, we are no longer the protagonists of our own lives. We lose the joy of living and the depth of emotional connection. Ironically, the time saved through outsourcing isn’t spent on personal leisure or enjoyment. Instead, it’s often reinvested into more industrial production, chasing even higher economic gains.

时间的缺失又为消费主义提供了可乘之机，人们在挣得更多金钱的同时，也陷入了报复性消费的陷阱，试图以此来补偿那些丢失的时间和情感联系。然而，这种无休止的忙碌和消费并没有带来真正的满足，人们既没时间享受生活，账户里也存不下几块钱 ——大多数人变成了“穷忙族”。

This time scarcity feeds consumerism. People, while earning more money, fall into the trap of revenge spending, trying to compensate for the time and emotional connections they’ve lost. Yet, this endless cycle of work and consumption brings no real fulfillment. People have neither time to enjoy life, nor money left in their bank accounts—most end up as “busy and broke.”

尽管物质财富增加了、外包产业发达了，但我们的精神世界却在萎缩。我觉得，外包还是需要有度，毕竟生活的核心其实由那些无法外包的瞬间组成——亲手采摘的蔬菜、运动汗水的挥洒、高质量的陪伴、自我故事的书写……我们在享受现代便利的同时，也要预留时间回归生活的本源，最终，生活不是一场外包的竞赛，而是一段自我创造的旅程。

Even though our material wealth has increased and the outsourcing industry has expanded, our spiritual world has shrunk. I believe outsourcing has its limits. Life’s core moments are made up of things that cannot be outsourced—the vegetables you pick with your own hands, the sweat you shed during exercise, the quality time spent with loved ones, and the stories you write about yourself. While we enjoy the conveniences of modern life, we should also reserve time to reconnect with life’s essence. In the end, life isn’t a race to outsource everything—it’s a journey of self-creation.

👧 About Me：

🌟 英语教育博主 / 乡村数字游民 Education Content Creator / Rural Digital Nomad

🌟 原世界500强企业海外教育项目运营 Former Fortune 500 Company Overseas Education Project Manager

🌟 原香港SCMP财经记者 Ex-South China Morning Post (SCMP) Reporter

🌟 波士顿大学新闻硕士 Boston University, Master of Journalism

🌟 2015年APEC会议中国青年代表 2015 APEC Meetings China Youth Delegate

🌟 2016年中国外研社杯全国英语辩论赛十佳演讲者 Top 10 Speaker, 2016 China's FLTRP Cup National English Debate

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