Are you a "Plasticine man"?

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"One day at time" might be the motto for a growing group of fatgued young, white-collar Chinese known as "eraser" or "plasticine" men. Brow-beaten out of shape by life, they show little if any response as they are kneaded this way and that, they are mostly white-collar workers who are somewhat numb to life, have no dreams, interests or ideals, and do not feel much pain - or joy. These "plasticine men" can be found among doctors, bank employees, teachers, journalists, traffic policemen, civil servant, actors and taxi drivers. Typically, they work alone and for more than 50 hours a week. They feel as if they have expended all their energy and all they get in return is a sense of emptiness. The term comes from a 1986 book, Xiang Pi Ren(Plasticine Man), by still-popular novelist Wang Shuo, that was later made into a film entitled Out Of Breath(Da chuan qi).