These four mountains in today's society have already made it hard for ordinary people to breathe, so how can we talk about stimulating domestic demand?

Why do we always lament that life is stressful but feel helpless? Do we really have to accept our fate and let these "mountains" weigh us down?

In recent years, with the changes in the economic situation, many people have felt unprecedented pressure in life. High housing prices, high education costs, and prohibitive medical expenses are like mountains weighing on the shoulders of ordinary people. Although the government is constantly introducing relevant policies to try to alleviate the plight of the people, the effect does not seem to be obvious. Many people can't help but ask: What is wrong with our society? Why has life, which was once full of hope, become so difficult now?

In fact, this phenomenon did not appear suddenly. As early as more than a decade ago, some far-sighted experts had foreseen the potential crisis. At that time, the real estate market began to heat up rapidly, the trend of education industrialization was obvious, and the reform of the medical system was difficult. Against the backdrop of rapid economic growth, these problems did not receive enough attention. It was not until the economic growth slowed down in recent years, coupled with the impact of the epidemic, that the contradictions accumulated over the years broke out.

Take housing prices as an example. Since the housing system reform in the 1990s, the real estate market has experienced nearly 30 years of rapid development. Initially, this provided a strong impetus for economic growth and met people's needs to improve living conditions. However, as time went on, the growth rate of housing prices far exceeded the growth of residents' income, and the problem of difficulty in buying a house became increasingly prominent. In first-tier cities, ordinary working-class people could hardly afford a decent house even if they gave everything they had.

At the same time, problems in the field of education have become increasingly prominent. From kindergarten to university, the cost of education has been rising steadily. Especially in the preschool education stage, the tuition fees of some high-end kindergartens even exceed those of ordinary universities. In order to create a better starting point for their children, many families have to invest a lot of money in education. This not only increases the burden on families, but also aggravates the unfairness of the distribution of educational resources.

The plight of the medical field is equally worrying. Although my country has basically implemented medical insurance, individuals still need to bear a considerable proportion of medical expenses when facing major diseases. In addition, some new drugs and new technologies are not covered by medical insurance, and serious illnesses often mean huge expenses. This leads many people to "delay minor illnesses and bear major illnesses", fearing that a major illness will destroy the family's savings.

Faced with these problems, all sectors of society have launched heated discussions. Some believe that the government should strengthen regulation to curb the rapid rise in housing prices; some call for increased investment in education to promote educational equity; and some advocate deepening medical system reform to reduce the burden on patients. However, what is the root cause of the problem? What is the solution?

Some experts pointed out that the essence of these problems is the structural contradictions in the process of economic development. In the process of pursuing GDP growth, some areas are overly marketized, resulting in an imbalance in resource allocation. Therefore, solving these problems cannot rely solely on a single policy, but requires systematic reform.

For example, in the real estate sector, in addition to short-term measures such as purchase and loan restrictions, it is necessary to establish long-term mechanisms, such as accelerating the development of the rental market and improving the real estate tax system. In education, in addition to increasing fiscal investment, we should also deepen the reform of the education system and break the "score-only" evaluation mechanism. Medical reform needs to disperse risks through various means such as commercial insurance on the basis of ensuring basic medical care.

In fact, many countries in the world have faced similar challenges. Take Singapore as an example. The country has effectively solved the housing problem by establishing a sound public housing system. In the medical field, the universal health insurance system in some Nordic countries provides us with useful reference. These experiences show that as long as we find the right direction and persevere in promoting reform, these "mountains" are not insurmountable.

Reform is by no means a one-off event; it requires the joint efforts of the government, enterprises and civil society. The government should formulate scientific policies to guide the rational allocation of resources; enterprises should assume more social responsibilities and take fairness into account while pursuing profits; citizens need to raise their awareness of participation, express their demands through legal channels, and promote social progress.

Looking back at history, it is not difficult to find that every major change is accompanied by pain. But it is these changes that have promoted social progress. In the face of the current difficulties, we need to maintain confidence and patience. As long as we persist in reform and opening up and continue to promote institutional innovation, we will be able to overcome the current difficulties and usher in a better future.

The progress of a society is not just about looking at cold numbers, but also about the improvement of people's quality of life. Only when ordinary people enjoy the fruits of economic development can society be truly stable and peaceful. In the face of these "mountains", we must actively try to solve them and take positive actions. Everyone should think: What can we do to change the status quo? Only in this way can we truly stimulate domestic demand and achieve healthy development of the economy and society.

So how should we respond to these pressures? Should we continue to endure them in silence, or should we speak up and promote change? The answer may lie in you and me.