152. Life Is Becoming Bimodal |走向兩極化的現代生活
– Musings of Dr. Jamie C. Hsu, 10.25.2023
In statistics, we learn that many events and large data tend to follow a normal distribution. The majority of the population or data will fall in the central section, and the average will fall in the middle. That kind of distribution seems to be changing quite a bit in the modern world. Somehow, our lives, our preferences, and even our environment are being pushed to the left and right and forming a bimodal shape of distribution.
This change is most pronounced in politics. We are labeled either as conservative or liberal; the voice of the middle majority is drowned out by the shouting and bickering of the extreme left or right. The majority of opinions and preferences are seldom expressed or heard. They are really becoming a silent majority.
The same trend is happening in many other aspects of our lives. In purchasing, low-end and high-end shoppers are increasing more than the middle ground people. Low-income people are more and more concerned about cost and popularizing retailers like Sam’s Club, Walmart, Temu, and Shein. At the same time, specialty high-end cars, watches, purses, and electronics still enjoy a big following.
In education, mass online platforms such as Coursera give thousands of students access to the best teachers, while specialty academies in various countries are tailored to the special needs of the elite, privileged, and wealthy.
Even in clothing there are bimodalities. Some people go to the extreme of covering less and exposing more of their skin in cropped tops and short shorts. At the other end, some people dress with head coverings or multiple layers. Business attire can be very casual with sweatpants and sneakers in some work environments, or more formal in the financial and legal sectors where people still wear three-piece suits.
I hope more and more people in the middle will begin to voice their thoughts and express their opinions so that we our world does not become too polarized or bimodal. Then, maybe we’ll have a ‘normal’ life.
走向兩極化的現代生活 (2023/10/25)
–作者 許俊宸博士
–中譯 薛乃綺
在統計學裡，我們學到許多事件和大量的數據都會遵循常態分佈。大部分的人或數據都會落在中間的區域，而平均值則位於正中央。但在現代社會裡，這種分佈似乎正在發生巨大的變化。不知怎麼地，我們的生活、喜好，甚至環境都被推往兩邊，形成了一種雙峰的分佈形狀。
這種變化在政治上最為明顯。我們被標註成為保守派或自由派；中間的多數聲音被極左或極右的吵鬧聲淹沒了。大多數的意見和喜好反而很少被表達或被聽到。他們真的變成了沉默的大多數。
我們在日常生活中，也有許多地方出現了這種趨勢。在購物方面，低價和高價的消費者比中間消費者增加得多的多。低收入戶更關心價格，喜歡如Sam’s Club、Walmart、Temu和Shein這樣的零售商。與此同時，高級汽車、手錶、包包或電子產品，仍然有大量粉絲追捧。
在教育方面，像Coursera這樣的大型線上平台，可以讓數千名學生接觸到最好的老師；而各國的專業學院，則為精英、有特權以及富裕的人，提供特定的教育。
即使在服裝上也有兩極化的現象。有些人喜歡穿著露出更多肌膚的上衣和短褲；而另一群人，則選擇蓋著頭巾或穿著多層次的衣服。在某些工作環境中，商務服裝可以非常休閒，像是運動褲和運動鞋等；但在金融界和法律行業，人們仍然穿著三件式西裝。
希望未來中間群能有越來越多人，能開始表達他們自己的想法和意見，如此我們的世界才不會太過於兩極化或雙峰化。也許到了那個時候，大家就能過上「正常」的生活。
