Hello, I’m Pang Ying. Welcome to the Q&A for Episode 11 of Think Like a Debater.

A：The speaker first gives us a dilemma. What makes it seem harder? The statement hides assumptions such as ‘you alone cannot change the world’s rules’ and ‘you cannot change them immediately, visibly, and all at once.’ Acceptance is then presented as the only remaining choice.

Who says our only choices are ‘I alone visibly change the world right now’ and ‘accept it’?

Many other possibilities exist. Let us give three examples.

Our bargaining power then grows, as with labor unions confronting employers. Employers naturally do not want workers to realize they can organize, so the rhetoric stresses: ‘You are alone; you cannot change it’ and ‘You are an egg striking a rock.’ Repetition will persuade some people.

Even as an ordinary person unable to lead a movement, I can participate, delegate representation, or simply offer moral support. All are possible.

Even without an immediately visible transformation of the whole world, we can begin nearby and improve our environment quietly and gradually.

Take employers and workers again. How thorough must change be before it counts? Must we overthrow capitalism and establish communism before saying the rules changed? Of course not. (Notice that I too have used an argument from extremes.)

Public criticism of 996 led ByteDance to abolish its alternating long-and-short workweeks. At my company, after many people resigned over workload, salaries rose and three days of annual leave were added. Other employers now recruit by emphasizing better work-life balance. These are all changes.