When you're away from work for a long time, you'll realize that the world is a fraud. Especially in the past decade, those working in cross-border e-commerce, self-media, the internet's gray market, and other freelance professions have all achieved financial freedom. From a young age, we've been conditioned by a system of rules known as "social order." You need to work to have a good life. Long-term absence from work (leaving the mainstream system) allows you to see through the "fiction" of this system and experience life for what it truly is. From the perspective of Taoism and the I Ching, transitioning from working to freelancing is a departure from "human nature" and a return to "heavenly nature." In Taoist thought, "human nature" is a man-made set of rules, filled with competition, consumption, and desire; while "heavenly nature" is an innate, natural law that emphasizes balance, rhythm, and harmony. Modern society operates through a powerful "wealth and official" matrix. Official and killing: These represent rules, order, pressure, and responsibility. Going to work, clocking in, KPIs, social status, mortgages, and car loans—these are all manifestations of "official and killing," driving you forward. Wealth: Represents desire, material possessions, and money. Earning money, spending, upgrading your lifestyle, and providing material support for the pressure brought on by "Official Killing"—this is the cycle of the "Wealth" star. This "Wealth-Official" matrix constructs a sophisticated system: using "Official Killing" to pressure you, it inspires you to pursue the "Wealth" star; then, using the "Wealth" star to satisfy your material desires, you willingly endure the "Official Killing." You're like a hamster on a perpetual wheel, never stopping. In numerology, long-term absences from work mean you've proactively "shed your Official Killing," thereby weakening your "chasing of the Wealth" star. You've broken free from this designed energy cycle, and you'll discover: 1. You'll find you don't need to eat three meals a day. Modern people's three meals a day are largely a result of social routines and commercial marketing ("humanitarianism"), rather than a true need of the body. When the pace of life slows down, your "primordial spirit" (innate instinct) takes control of your body, automatically adjusting to a state that best aligns with its natural rhythms: eating only when hungry and drinking only when thirsty. This is a sign that the body's internal "clear qi" rises, while "turbid qi" (stagnant energy caused by stress and greasy food) naturally decreases. The body no longer needs strong seasonings to stimulate its senses, which have been numbed by fatigue. 2. If you earn 10,000 yuan a month and can spend 10,000 yuan, but only spend 300 or 400 yuan a month when you're not working, there's no greater disaster than being unsatisfied, and no greater sin than greed. At work, you're immersed in a consumerist environment ("human nature"). The comparisons between colleagues, the coffee you drink on your commute, and the shopping you do to relieve stress all invisibly fuel "false fire" (unnecessary desires), leading you to constantly spend money to "relieve internal heat." After leaving that environment, the "false fire" naturally subsides. You'll discover that happiness comes from inner peace and freedom ("heavenly nature"), not external consumption. At this point, "contentment" itself is a great asset. 3. You won't be out of touch with society. Coffee shops and teahouses are filled with people working 24/7, such as Malong and Feng Shui masters. Living in seclusion in the city, true "disconnection" is a spiritual disconnect from the pulse of the times, not a formal disconnect. The Yijing hexagram, "Seeing a group of dragons without a leader is auspicious," symbolizes that everyone can find their own rhythm and way of being, without having to rely on a fixed organization (or company) to survive. This is a higher level of "integration." 4. No more back pain, no more leg soreness, and my lumbar muscle strain has inexplicably healed. Many modern illnesses are "emotional" and "overwork" diseases. The mental stress of long-term office work (overthinking damages the spleen) and prolonged sitting (damaging the kidneys and waist) both deplete your "qi" and "shen." Once you're free from stressors and your emotions are relaxed, your qi and blood flow naturally. The body's powerful self-healing ability (the innate foundation) begins to activate, and many symptoms caused by stress and strain resolve without medication. This is the result of the body returning from a state of "dissipation" to a state of "cultivation." 5. "I won't starve to death even if I don't work; I can earn money doing anything." The enlightenment gained after breaking free from the paramount ego (the rigid notion of "having to work"). The essence of the universe is abundance and fluidity. When you no longer limit yourself to the single tree of "working," you'll discover an entire forest of opportunities. When you contribute value, the world will naturally return energy (money being one form of it) to you. This way of "earning a little money" is often more in line with the "Way of Heaven"—follow the flow and eat according to your energy. 6. The sky is a clear blue, the breeze is gentle, and a walk is enjoyable. When your heart is no longer anxious and hurried (the Way of Humanity), your frequency will slow down, resonating with the frequency of nature (the Way of Heaven). You can finally "see" the color of the sky and "feel" the warmth of the breeze, because you are no longer a cog in the "social machine" but a sentient, living "person," reconnecting with the universe. This is a supreme state of spiritual practice—living in the present moment. Not working isn't a scam, but an awakening. It's a profound process of "disenchantment"—dispelling the "enchantment" and "hypnosis" cast upon you by social rules. This isn't to encourage everyone to quit immediately, but rather to offer a perspective: We can consciously examine our lives, identifying areas of human waste and areas of natural nourishment. Even in the workplace, we can cultivate our mind and character, reducing internal friction and returning to tranquility, thereby achieving a degree of freedom in any situation.