During an exhibition showcasing the occupational skills of disabled people, an armless man used his mouth and feet to repair a watch. He completed the task in just a few minutes at the show, which was held in Beijing last Saturday.

But one doesn't need to have been there to marvel at the exquisiteness of the handiwork or footwork, to be more accurate. Just imagine the dainty parts that make up a watch. Many people have had the awkward experience of trying to put a tiny loosened screw back in place, even with their hands.

You have to wonder how the disabled man developed such a skill.

It was reported that 28-year-old Wang Jianghai lost his arms in an accident when he was five and began learning to repair watches at the age of 17. He has repaired more than 10,000 watches in the past 11 years.

What strong self-confidence he must have to overcome the difficulties involved in acquiring this skill. What optimism he must have to face the unfairness of his destiny. And what tough willpower and dogged determination he must have to endure the hardship in his struggle for a normal life.

Such confidence, optimism and willpower are exactly the qualities many physically healthy people lack nowadays.

Wang has set a good example for young people. But today's youth seem to be more fascinated with their idols in the entertainment industry TV stars and pop singers.

I don't have to go too far to find an example. As I write this column, Beijing's local media are reporting that a jobless woman, about the same age as Wang, spent the past 12 years doing just one thing waiting for a chance to see a famous Hong Kong actor in person. She ruined her parents' lives; they sold their house to enable her to realize this dream.

There may not be authoritative statistics to support the claim that pop stars are teenagers' main concern or that schools and other educational institutions have not done enough to urge students to follow examples like Wang. But it is obvious that youngsters are less interested in learning from the examples of working and studying hard to attain loftier goals.

That is undoubtedly the outcome of the influence of a changing social atmosphere.

One must admit that there is a trend towards hedonism in our society. People are increasingly more concerned about material gains than about spiritual pursuits. While adults know they must work hard whatever way they choose to materialize the gains, the much-pampered younger generation are more inclined toward ease and sensuous comforts.

This pleasure-seeking trend provides a huge and lucrative market for the entertainment industry and the mass media. The media devote excessive coverage to anecdotes of pop and TV stars, which in turn fans wider and stronger enthusiasm for entertainment among the masses, especially young people.

The feverish nationwide following of "Super Girls" was the best example of this ridiculous fanaticism.

Ours is a developing country. Global competition in the growth of national strength presents a demand for China to be quicker in its development. We cannot afford to lose time. We cannot afford to lavish our time and vigour on transient hedonistic comforts. Now is not the time for us Chinese to indulge ourselves in material pleasures.

We need to make our economy more powerful. To meet this need, all of us should maintain our tradition of working hard and overcoming difficulties.

(China Daily 12/06/2006 page4)