( For context, Imago.tg is also a private clinic similar to GenderGP but better as far as I've heard. They could maybe be an alternative to those of y'all who are looking for somewhere else to go )
I emailed Imago last week and got a response today. I asked them a whole lot of questions and the owner Zofia responded to me. I'm gonna put my question and her response in a bit of a Q&A type layout. To start with here's what I emailed, then below that the questions i asked and her answers are:
"Hello there! I'm emailing for a friend and also partially all the other folks in the Nordics/UK struggling right now. You may have heard about GenderGP. I myself was previously signed up with their services but quit partially due to how limited their care was.
Merely contacting them is now paywalled, and many are struggling to even get their prescription. I've heard good things about you and maybe you coukd be a good option to the people who are also quitting GenderGP and are looking for alternatives. so I wanted to ask a few questions about your services."
Q: How much does it cost? Both in terms of the startup prices as well as long term what's generally considered the expected costs?
A: €250 initial fee, €20 monthly subscription (additional medical visits at your request NOT included).
Q: How many sessions do you need before starting hormones assuming you haven't been on HRT before? And how many does it take to continue care if someone are on HRT but looking to switch ( for example from GenderGP to you)
A: It's individual, every case is different. We aim at shortening the process but staying within WPATH8 guidelines.
Q: Are there mandatory follow-ups? And if so how much do they cost and how often are they due?
A: In the great majority of cases, no. We may only require a follow-up visit if there is a serious health concern/hazard revealed by blood test results. Blood tests are mandatory, though. Currently, we don't provide those.
Q: How do you go about blood tests? Do you send a request to the patients GP or do you have a testing kit of some kind? ( and if yes how much does it cost?)
A: We typically provide the patient with a reminder and a list. If there is a cooperative GP we are happy to send the request to them.
Q: How does your services work in Sweden? I know many struggle to even get their prescription and have to drive to Denmark to get it from pharmacies
A: We are aware of those problems. We have a matrix of what works where but it still happens, not very often but still, that our patients encounter problems. Sometimes we call pharmacy or send a legal letter, sometimes we just provide a new prescription.
Q: Can you give hormone blockers under 16? I read on your site that you can't give HRT under 16 but does that apply to hormone blockers as well? And what about countries where you can legally make medical decisions for yourself at 15 like Denmark for example, do the same rules still apply or is it different from country to country?
A: Unfortunately, no. :( We didn't have such a case so far but I would be delighted to extend our service to more trans people in need, especially those most vulnerable. It would, however, require solid legal research as we cannot risk exposing whole project to risk of lawsuits.
Q: How long does it take to recieve a prescription (both on paper as well as digital)?
A: Currently, it takes approx. 5 weeks from the moment we get everything from you (intake forms, blood tests) to the appointment with a doctor. Then, we send prescriptions within a few days from receiving consent forms. Paper ones, obviously, take longer, it depends on the postal service. We are sending priority registered letters.
Q: Do you have any options for therapy sessions or similar? If yes how much does it cost?
A: There are some and we are slowly expanding them. The costs differ but you should expect €80-120/1h. We want to introduce packages by June.
Q: Do you require any kind of proof (documents or otherwise) that someone has gender dysphoria and if not is that something you can provide? ( for example GenderGP could give a gender dysphoria diagnosis)
A: No, never! We strongly stand against this harmful practice. But we do accept any relevant medical record, especially past blood results, prescriptions, etc. - it will speed up process.
Q: Can you give surgery referrals? (For either top or bottom surgery) and if yes how much does it cost?
A: Yes, although please be aware those are rarely accepted by public healthcare systems. They are sufficient for privat clinics, though.
Q: In terms of the startup price, would someone need to pay it all at once or are there options for split-up payment?
A: For now, only at-once
Hope this is helpful to y'all!

The astronomical growth of the Chinese economy in recent decades has reshaped global power dynamics, with an impressive 9% average yearly growth since 1978 (World Bank, 2023) sparking predictions of China surpassing the United States as the biggest economy measured by nominal GDP (BBC News, 2020), and has caused some to even posit that China will be able to rival the US in power (Tucker, 2023).
However, a more nuanced examination reveals complexities in China's economic development model and its intersection with foreign policy. This paper delves into the evolution of China's economic rise, emphasizing its high-savings, investment-led growth model and its profound global implications. The inherent connection as well as tension between China’s domestic economic policies and its foreign policy will be examined.

China’s economic rise and the development of its economy over time

To understand how China has managed to join the ranks of the most influential players in the global economy, and what consequences it has for its foreign policy, it is essential to understand its political economic development model. Additionally, for the argument of this paper it is important to understand how the Chinese economy fits into the global economic puzzle.

A short history of the Chinese development model

From an economic perspective, societies can improve standards of living in a number of ways: increasing employment, improving the efficiency of workers, or expanding production through investment in capital equipment. Crucially, all of these factors highlight the importance of investment for development (Klein, Pettis, p.68, 2020). When domestic production is running at maximum capacity, there are two major development models (often applied simultaneously) that economies can follow to pay for additional investment (Klein, Pettis, p.68, 2020): On the one hand there is the ‘high savings model’, which transfers resources from domestic consumers to businesses and the government who save more than they consume. This thereby creates a trade surplus because it raises domestic production relative to domestic demand (Klein, Pettis, p. 68, 2020). On the other hand, there is the high-wage model, which transfers resources from the rest of the world by raising imports relative to exports in an attempt to attract foreign investment by raising domestic demand, increasing the trade deficit (Klein, Pettis, p. 68, 2020).
Authoritarian political culture and high centralization made the high savings model a logical option for the CCP. From the 1990s onwards, the Chinese government started to transfer spending power from ordinary Chinese people in order to subsidize domestic investment and foreign consumption, which meant the high savings model would end up becoming the development model China pursues until this day (Klein, Pettis, p. 108, 2020). Even though household income would increase greatly due to the substantial economic growth that these investments generated, households consumed an increasingly smaller share of economic output as savings increased as a share of the economy (Klein, Pettis, p. 108, 2020).
China utilized several internal transfer mechanisms to supress consumption and increase savings which included: currency manipulation; regulatory measures such as expropriations; unfavourable lending conditions for consumers and favourable lending conditions for elites with political connections; and lastly, the hukou system which deprived internal migrant workers of social security (Klein, Pettis, pp. 108-112, 2020). As a result, the decrease in household spending relative to GDP during the 1990s and 2000s was significantly more pronounced than the increase in investment (Klein, Pettis, 2020, p. 108). This led to a significant surplus in the current account, amounting to around 10 percent of China's total economic output by 2007-8 (Klein, Pettis, 2020, p. 108).

Untenable numbers

Global investment on average represents 25% of GDP (World Bank, 2023), and even though it is normal for a developing economy to have a higher rate of investment, China’s investment share of GDP sits at an exceptional 43% (World Bank, 2023). With a GDP of almost $18 Trillion accounting for ~18% of the world’s economy (World Bank 2023), China’s economic imbalances have great implications for the world economy, and at the same time the state of the world economy has great implications for China.
In his recent blog, Michael Pettis (2023) argues that with a share of only 13% of global consumption while having a 32% share of global investment, the Chinese economy cannot sustainably grow at 4-5% with the same model as it currently follows. Pettis (2023) argues:
Every $1 of investment has required approximately $3 of consumption globally to sustain it during this century. In China, however, $1 of investment is balanced by only $1.30 of consumption. If the global relationship between consumption and investment held over the next decade, an increase in the Chinese share of global investment from 32 percent today to 38 percent in a decade would require that the rest of the world disinvest to accommodate China’s domestic imbalances. (Pettis, 2023)
The following sections will discuss how China’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy, in combination with changing geopolitical circumstances has made global disinvestment extremely unlikely.

The evolution of Chinese foreign policy over time

As explained previously, the Chinese rise as an important actor in the global system has been facilitated by foreign consumers who consume the excess production which underpaid Chinese workers cannot consume themselves. Hence, China has great interest in maintaining the current global liberal trade regime, from which it has greatly benefited following its accession to the WTO in 2001. Seeing as trading relations with Western countries are of paramount importance to China’s economic prospects under the current economic model it pursues, it should be in China’s interests to avoid antagonizing the West. This section will explain how the historical Chinese stance allowed or its rise within the international system, and why its current stance undermines its future.

Chinese foreign policy pre-Xi

For a long time, Chinese foreign policy had been led by a quote of Deng Xiaoping in reaction to the international backlash to the Tiananmen Square incident. Around this time, he told other CCP leaders that their reaction should be to “lengjing guancha, wenzhu zhenjiao, chenzhuo yingfu” (observe calmly, secure our position, cope with afairs calmly) (Chen, Wang, 2011, p. 5). The foreign policy debate in China would long centre around this stance, paraphrased as “Tao Guang Yang Hui” roughly translated as: “hide your strength and bide your time” or “hide capabilities and keep a low profile”[1] (Chen, Wang, 2011).
The relative low-profile of China meant that other great powers not only tolerated its rise in the global system, but they also increased their ties with China dramatically, Western companies poured into the Chinese market to take advantage both of cheap manufacturing (caused by aforementioned reforms and industrial policy) and the large Chinese market. Between 1980 and 2004, US-China trade rose from $5 billion to $231 billion (Council on Foreign Relations, 2017).
Another guiding principle in the Chinese rise within the international system was the supposed “peaceful development” of China, a concept where progress and expansion were based on the historical philosophy of the “Middle-Kingdom” in which a non-confrontational approach was valued highly (Stevens, 2014, p. 1). The peaceful development narrative has persisted until this day but has arguably been more of a soft power campaign as of late to counter the “China threat” discourse (zhongguo weixie, 中国威胁) (Sørensen, 2015, p. 8), which has taken hold among foreign powers. The “China threat” discourse refers to a narrative that frames China as a potential menace to global stability and established international norms. This discourse encompasses concerns related to China's military modernization, economic influence, territorial claims, and geopolitical ambitions. Wang Yi, currently the Chinese minister of foreign affairs, called this discourse an “outdated Cold-War mentality” which has “no place in the new era of globalization” (Wang, 2013). Crucially, Wang's statements along with the "China threat" discourse within China concerning globalization, demonstrate an acknowledgment of the adverse consequences stemming from China's assertive actions in the realm of foreign policy. Wang went on to reassure that “China would never seek hegemony in the world” (Wang, 2013).
However, sentiment within the Chinese government started shifting around the 2010s (Stevens, 2014, pp. 1-2). The combination of the great financial crisis in 2008 and the resource intensive US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, combined with the symbolic achievement of holding the 2008 Beijing Olympics, made some government officials believe that the balance of power was shifting, and that China should be more assertive towards a declining US (Stevens, 2014, p. 1). This was not truly a dramatic shift, which was to come later, with a new leader taking the stage.

Chinese foreign policy after Xi

The ascension of Xi Jinping as Chinese leader has dramatically altered the way China interacts with the world. Bolstering development was no longer the only priority. A new moral objective inspired by the century of humiliation had entered the picture. Essentially, Xi Jinping has changed Chinese state identity within the international system. Under Xi Jinping, China no longer lay low and started to figuratively stand up, from 2013 the new guideline was to be “Fen Fa You Wei” (奋发有为, “striving for achievement”) (Sørensen, 2015), with the ultimate goal of achieving the “Chinese dream”.
The Chinese dream is inspired by historical revanchism, with the ultimate goal being the great “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”, in which China regains its international status, rights and power (Sørensen, 2015, p. 10); reminiscing over times when China made the rules as hegemon within East-Asia. Essentially, Xi Jinping slowly and methodically started reconstructing Chinese state identity within the international system. This rhetoric has attracted negative attention in the Western media, seen as carrying sinister implications for the international order (Sørensen, 2015, p. 5). In 2017, Xi definitively departed from keeping a low profile. In his (im)famous “new era” speech at the commencement of the 19th party congress, Xi presented statements that appeared contradictory to Wang’s 2013 remarks. Xi asserted that Beijing would no longer shy away from world leadership and would aim to promote its model around the world: “It is time for us to take centre stage in the world and to make a greater contribution to humankind […] [China is] standing tall and firm in the east”. (Xi, 2017)

Chinese assertiveness antagonizes the world: The rediscovery of industrial policy, protectionism, and economic deterrence

Beyond long speeches and articulate rhetoric, Chinese assertiveness has manifested in such numerous ways that it is difficult to name every incident. The most prominent examples include its aggressive military posture in the Taiwan strait and the South China sea, where the Chinese military and coast guard have initiated numerous hostile encounters over the years. These encounters have prompted the EU and US to voice strong opposition to the PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) actions, with the US calling PRC actions “unlawful” (Reuters, 2023) and the EU “emphasising” that parties should “respect freedom of navigation” and settle disputes “through peaceful means in accordance with international law” (EEAS, 2021). However, more direct confrontations with Western powers have taken place in the economic realm. In 2005 Robert Zoellick, then Deputy Secretary of State of the United States urged the Chinese to become a “responsible stakeholder” within the system, as a result of Chinese hostile actions however, these hopes have been given up; the EU has labelled China a “systemic rival” (EEAS, 2023) and the Sino-American competition is no secret. The West is now changing its geo-economic policy according to the perceived “China threat” that Wang Yi (2013) was worried about.

Chinese economic coercion

Through its strategic use of industrial policy China has managed to forge several dependencies for the West, notably in the area of green energy, where it dominates the refining of rare earth minerals, the production of electric vehicles and batteries (Hárven, 2023). China has been abusing such dependencies through economic coercion (Cha, 2023). In a testimony to the US congress, Senior Vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at CSIS Victor Cha, perfectly articulates the consequences of Chinese economic coercion:
China’s economic coercion has become part and parcel of its foreign policy against many trading partners. Countries that interact with Taiwan, support democracy in Hong Kong, oppose genocide in Xinjiang or offend any other “core interests” of China face discriminatory, non-WTO-conforming sanctions and embargoes. Targets of this weaponization of trade since 2008 range widely. Eighteen Western and Asian countries, including Japan, Lithuania, Norway, and Australia, and over 123 private companies, including Walmart and the National Basketball Association, have been targeted precipitating tens of billions of dollars in economic damage. (Cha, 2023)
Cha (2023) went on to call on the United States and like-minded partners to consider a “collective resilience” strategy to deter China’s economic coercion. Even though Cha (2023) recognizes that most targets of coercion are asymmetrically dependent on China, he highlights that there are still a number of export items these countries possess on which the Chinese market is “highly dependent” and “in some cases almost 100% dependent”. If states come together to promise collective retaliation, Cha (2023) argues, it would be enough of a deterrence to Beijing to cease its aggressive behaviour.
In Europe too there has been a response to Chinese economic coercion, with the introduction of the Anti-Coercion Instrument, which went into force on the 27th of December 2023, providing the EU with means to deter and respond to economic coercion acting as a deterrent for future coercion by China (European Commission, 2023).

The rise of industrial policy and protectionist measures as a response to the fragmentation of the Liberal International Order

A more serious concern for China is the rise of industrial policy and protectionism in states that have until now acted as a sponge for excess Chinese production. Arguably, this is the most serious threat to the Chinese economic growth model. In the United States, the concept of economic decoupling from China, as advocated during President Trump's tenure, may have been an extreme interpretation of this viewpoint. However, the Biden administration has sustained and expanded specific policies aimed at reviewing critical supply chains, enhancing investment screening and export controls, and allocating substantial subsidies to national industries (Gehrke, 2022). In a similar vein, the European Union (EU) has also been actively pursuing strategic autonomy in response to the evolving landscape of global economic interdependence. A catalysing factor in the rise of European industrial policy has been the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Chinese alignment with Russia in the conflict, leading some to say that this has been the starting point of a fragmentation of the Liberal International Order (Costa, Barbe, 2023, p. 2). There are strong signs that the dependence on China is viewed in Brussels in a similar vein as the one with Russia. This was signified by a statement by Ursula von der Leyen in the State of the Union of 2022: “Lithium and rare earths are already replacing gas and oil at the heart of our economy. [...] The not so good news is – one country dominates the market. So, we have to avoid falling into the same dependency as with oil and gas.” (Von der Leyen, 2022).
As a response to this dependence the Commission introduced the Critical Raw Materials Act (European Commission, 2023), which seeks to reduce EU dependence and was adopted last December. In addition, the EU is bolstering its industry through the Green Deal Industrial Plan and is seeking to apply tariffs to products which are produced with a lower environmental standard than within the EU through the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (European Commission, 2023). Similarly, the United Kingdom, under Project Defence, is exploring ways to diminish dependence on key imports from China, while Japan has elevated its bureaucratic infrastructure to monitor new technology and economic security threats, including potential risks associated with foreign dependence (Gehrke, 2023). Additionally, India's economic and technology policy, encapsulated by the term "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India), has become a focal point under the Modi administration (Gehrke, 2023). ECB research from 2019 indicated that if trade tension were to escalate significantly in the future, global trade would decline significantly. Based on the previously mentioned policy initiatives, this scenario seems more likely than ever, with potentially severe implications for the Chinese economy.

Implications for China

As mentioned earlier in this paper, the rest of the world would have to disinvest to accommodate Chinese investment-led growth. Seeing the discussion above, this seems like an extremely unlikely outcome. Critics might argue that the CCP has been aware of the problems its internal imbalances generate, for it can simply choose to escape the investment-trap by sharply increasing consumption, which it is already attempting to do under its “Common Prosperity Policy” (Koty, 2022). However, here Michael Pettis’s (2023) calculations can assist with finding out whether this is manageable within a reasonable timeframe. Michael Pettis makes two optimistic assumptions regarding China's rebalancing process. Firstly, considering China's historical high investment levels and the recent surge in its debt-to-GDP ratio, Pettis (2023) suggests a sustainable investment share might be lower than the global average. However, for this analysis, Pettis (2023) assumes it can be as high as 33–34 percent. Despite being one-fourth below the current level, this would still make China the world's top investor for the next decade. Secondly, based on Pettis's (2023) perspective, there is an assumption that China has a decade to bring its investment share to a more sustainable level, with GDP growth outpacing investment growth, reducing the investment share by nearly 10 percentage points to 34 percent. However, to achieve such a transformation Pettis notes that GDP growth would have to outpace investment growth by 2-3 percent per year, which would in turn necessitate consumption to outgrow GDP by 2-3 percent per year.
Pettis (2023) notes that the above will be incredibly difficult to achieve, as slowing investment growth will require a painful transformation in which construction jobs are lost and household income growth would have to be accelerated drastically through either direct transfer in wages or indirectly through a more generous social safety net. The challenge with implementing transfers lies in the financial burden they pose, and only three sectors can viably shoulder this responsibility. The first sector that wealth could be transferred from is the affluent, who consume a much lower share of their income, but seeing the size of China’s population this would have a smaller impact on consumption than it would have in economies like that of the US (Pettis, 2023). Pettis (2023) argues that the business sector is also an unlikely candidate, as jeopardizing China’s manufacturing competitiveness will likely be difficult given the “vested interests” which have been shown to have a significant influence on CCP policymaking, with Le Keqiang once saying: “It is now more difficult to deal with vested interests than it is to touch the soul” (Spegele, 2013). The last option is the government, specifically local governments, since the central government has explicitly stated reluctance to bear the costs of adjustment (Pettis, 2023). According to Pettis (2023) it would technically be possible to do this, but seeing the limited room for choice the Chinese government has as explained above and the trickiness of reversing four decades of direct and indirect transfers from household savings into investment (Pettis 2023), Beijing might very well fail in this task which might lead to a global overproduction crisis, or it might resort to a softer foreign policy stance. There are signals that Beijing is attempting to rescue its foreign image by going on a charm offensive and softening its stance, with China’s controversial “wolf warrior diplomacy” falling out of fashion, with prominent “Wolf Warrior” Zhao Lijan being “banished” according to Foreign Policy (Palmer, 2023). Additionally, China is presenting itself as an international peacemaker, although it is unclear whether this is a true change in policy or simply a “cosmetic change” (Harper, 2023).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the interplay between China's economic trajectory and its foreign policy shapes a complex narrative that underscores how domestic policy can influence foreign policy and vice-versa. This paper highlights the inherent tension between the investment-based Chinese economy versus its assertive global posturing. Xi Jinping and the CCP have arguably hurt the PRC’s economic prospects by poor coordination between the political-economic and foreign policy domain.
The response of the West to Chinese economic coercion and the nascent disintegration of the liberal international order underscores the pervasive implications of China’s economic course. The implications for China are substantial, encompassing the formidable challenges associated with rebalancing its extremely unbalanced economy and contemplating potential adjustments in its foreign policy to address global reactions. As the international community grapples with the ramifications of China's ascendance, the CCP faces a critical juncture. The decisions forthcoming will not merely shape China's trajectory but will wield strong influence over broader global economic developments and geopolitics.
[1] Some Chinese officials like the former deputy chief of the PLA have argued that the phrase is more benign than it sounds, due to difficulties in translating the phrase to English. (Chen, Wang, 2011, p.9)

Bibliography

BBC News. (2020, 26 december). Chinese economy to overtake US “by 2028” due to COVID. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55454146
Brunnstrom, D. (2023, November 3). US airs concerns to China about “dangerous and unlawful” South China Sea actions. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-airs-concerns-china-about-dangerous-unlawful-south-china-sea-actions-2023-11-03/#:\~:text=%22The%20United%20States%20underscored%20concerns,China's%20obstruction%20of%20an%20Oct.
Costa, O., & Barbé, E. (2023). A moving target. EU actorness and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Journal of European Integration, 45(3), 431–446. https://doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2023.2183394
Cha, V. (2023). Examining China’s Coercive Economic Tactics. Csis.org. https://www.csis.org/analysis/examining-chinas-coercive-economic-tactics
Chen, D., & Wang, J. (2011). Lying low no more? China's new thinking on the Tao Guang Yang Hui strategy.
China: An International Journal, 9(02), 195-216.
Clover, C. (2017, October 20). Xi Jinping signals departure from low-profile policy. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/05cd86a6-b552-11e7-a398-73d59db9e399
European Commission. (2023, March 16). Critical Raw Materials Act. Press corner https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscornedetail/en/ip_23_1661
European Commission. (2023, December 27). New tool to enable EU to withstand economic coercion enters into force. Press Corner. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscornedetail/en/ip_23_6804
European Commission. (2023). Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Taxation and Customs Union. https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en
European External Action Service. (2021, 11 november). South China Sea: Statement by the Spokesperson on recent incidents [Persbericht]. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/south-china-sea-statement-spokesperson-recent-incidents_en
European External Action Service. (2023, December 7). EU-China Relations factsheet EEAS. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-china-relations-factsheet_en
Gehrke, T. (2022, 1 April). EU open strategic autonomy and the trappings of geoeconomics. https://kluwerlawonline.com/journalarticle/European+Foreign+Affairs+Review/27.SI/EERR2022012
Harper, T. (2023, September 6). China is switching away from its aggressive “wolf warrior” foreign policy – here’s why. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/china-is-switching-away-from-its-aggressive-wolf-warrior-foreign-policy-heres-why-212658
Harvén, S. A. (2023, December 8). The Europe-China relationship: dependencies, divergence and decoupling - Friends of Europe. Friends of Europe; Friends of Europe. https://www.friendsofeurope.org/insights/critical-thinking-the-europe-china-relationship-dependencies-divergence-and-decoupling/
Klein, M. C., & Pettis, M. (2020). Trade wars are class wars: How rising inequality distorts the global economy and threatens international peace.
Koty, A. C. (2022, March 21). How to Understand China’s Common Prosperity Policy. China Briefing News. https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-common-prosperity-what-does-it-mean-for-foreign-investors/
Palmer, J. (2023, January 11). Why Did China Banish Wolf Warrior Diplomat Zhao Lijian? Foreign Policy; Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/01/11/china-wolf-warrior-zhao-lijian-diplomacy/
Pettis, M. (2023, 4 december). What will it take for China’s GDP to grow at 4–5 percent over the next decade? Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/chinafinancialmarkets/91161
Spegele, B. (2013, November 11). Are Chinese Leaders Ready to Take on Vested Interests? The Wall Street Journal; The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-CJB-19516
Sørensen, C. T. N. (2015). The significance of Xi Jinping’s “Chinese Dream” for Chinese foreign policy: From “Tao Guang Yang Hui” to “Fen Fa You Wei”. DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals). https://doaj.org/article/8e9bac4f0d574454b88f68739a01f705
Stevens, F. M. S. (2014). What happened to Deng’s maxim ‘Tao Guang Yang Hui’?: Explaining China’s increased assertiveness in East Asia. Atlantisch Perspectief, 38(2), 24–28. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48581107
Tucker, H. (2023, June 13). Billionaire Ray Dalio Issues Warning About Rise Of China, Why He Thinks U.S. Is On The “Brink Of War.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hanktucke2023/06/12/billionaire-ray-dalio-issues-warning-about-rise-of-china-why-he-thinks-us-is-on-the-brink-of-wa
U.S.-China Relations. (2017, 27 april). Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-china-relations
Wang Yi. 2013. China at a new starting point. Statement at the general debate of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly. New York. September 27.
World Bank. Gross Capital Formation (% of GDP). (2022). https://data.worldbank.org/indicatoNE.GDI.TOTL.ZS
World Bank. The World Bank in China. (20 April 2023). https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/overview#:~:text=Since%20China%20began%20to%20open,lifted%20themselves%20out%20of%20poverty
Jinping, X. (2017, 18 October). Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Hello. I have been a BM for 1 and a half years at Costa coffee. After being promoted to BM, I have started to notice some things at work that just seem out of order, so I am just trying to ask for some advice.
For starters, every opener has to start half hour before the store opens (ex. If we open to customers at 7am, we are scheduled from 6:30am). This half hour usually isn’t enough time to bake pastries,set up outdoor furniture, order core/fresh/milk, aos checks, logbook, set up the cake display, count safe and till, grind and dose as well as other opening bits that I might’ve forgotten.
In result, most BM usually shows up earlier than the scheduled time including store manager. I, for example show up one hour before opening and clock in as usual.
However, looking at my time sheets recently, I have started to realize that all of my clock in times get adjusted to the 06:30am, and don’t stay as the time I actually clocked in. Clock out times mostly stay the same, but sometimes these get adjusted as well.
Because of this, I started to a bit of digging on my laptop Dayforce to backtrack and see how far it goes, as well as compare the clock in times for other BM’s/store manager. Besides store manager as they are salaried, one BM in particular will sometimes start as early as 5/5:30, and is put down as Paid early in, however all others get adjusted. It goes as far back as I can see on the timesheets, so I’m not sure what I should do in this situation. I should also point out that the store manager and this bm are close friends, so this could be potential favoritism.
Second thing, I am wondering about the store tips. During my one and half year of working at the store, I have only witnessed tips being split out once, which was at around Christmas time. Not sure if every team member did, but a few received £20 in cash including me. A friend of mine who I work with has been there for about a year longer than I have, and they have received exactly the same amount as I have over the time they have been there.
I find it quite a bit odd that over 2 and a half years, tips have only been given out once. I know that the tip money should be used on either team outings or split evenly among hourly paid employees. When talking to my manager about tips being used for a team evening a while back (bowling, dinner etc), their excuse was at the time that they don’t think it would help us bond as much as they would like it to and won’t benefit us as much, and that would just split the tips at the end of the year. Despite there being a toxic environment at work, this at the time went straight over my head as in my eyes, at that time I found my manager and other BMs trustworthy and honest. I think the store manager is just pocketing the tips, however I’m not sure how to go about it, as well as the whole timesheet thing.
TL;DR, timesheets get adjusted by store manager for most employees except a few people (potential wage theft), and suspicious that tips get pocketed by store manager instead of handed out.
Any advice would be helpful, thank you!

"Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business" by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters proposes a convincing paradigm for achieving corporate success through the partnership of two unique roles: the Visionary and the Integrator.
The primary concept of the book is that any successful organization needs both a Visionary, who provides new ideas, big-picture thinking, and strategic direction, and an Integrator, who executes those ideas, oversees day-to-day operations, and assures execution of the vision.
Wickman and Winters draw on their considerable experience working with entrepreneurial businesses to provide practical insights and effective guidance for understanding and harnessing the Visionary-Integrator relationship. They analyze the features, strengths, and problems of each function, as well as the key qualities of a successful relationship between the two.
Through compelling storytelling and real-world examples, the authors explain how Visionaries and Integrators may complement each other's abilities and personalities to drive growth, boost efficiency, and achieve greater results. They provide tools and tactics for identifying the perfect partner, creating clear roles and duties, and building a solid working partnership based on trust, communication, and alignment.
One of the important lessons of the book is the significance of recognizing and valuing the distinct skills and contributions of both Visionaries and Integrators. Wickman and Winters emphasize that effective partnerships are built on mutual respect, shared goals, and a common vision for the future of the organization.
In addition to studying the Visionary-Integrator dynamic, the authors also offer practical guidance for adopting the Rocket Fuel structure in enterprises of all sizes. They provide assistance on developing a culture of accountability, enabling cooperation, and driving sustainable growth.
Overall, "Rocket Fuel" is a wonderful resource for entrepreneurs, company executives, and anybody interested in maximizing the potential of their organization. Wickman and Winters' plain writing style, paired with concrete insights and real-world examples, make this book approachable and applicable to readers at all levels. Whether you're wanting to scale your business, improve team relations, or boost your leadership skills, "Rocket Fuel" offers vital insight and guidance for reaching your goals.
Free Audiobook with a free trial of Audible

What would be the strongest fusion of 2 species that have never appeared in Ben 10? Goal example: A Saiyan and a floral colossi. (Neither are from Ben 10) Not the intended goal: A viltrumite and a celestialsapien. (Only one is from Ben 10) Exactly what I didn't want: gourmand and pyronite. (Both are from Ben 10).
Personally I think a celestial from marvel, mixed with a Saiyan from dragon ball, would be overpowered. Can't think of anything stronger without using alien x.

Hello I am playing the ESO time to time since launch. I have 2k hours in this game. I've never been hardcore player, I mostly played the game as solo and casually. However, almost %70 of the time i've spent to this game spent on PVP. Mostly battlegrounds. I only have 1 character which is Sorcerer and i am playing as Stam sorc with dual wield and bow. I have 1000 CP right now.
All I want to do is try to make a build that I found myself and is not copy paste. No matter how hard I try, I just can't achieve this. I spend my days changing builds and entering BG dozens of times and trying them, but I get the same result every time. Dying in 1 second. Even if I give all my attrs to Health, use prismatic and impen on all armor, wear a defensive set for backup, and turn on all the defensive skills of the class, still only live for a maximum of 3 seconds. When I kill someone, I always know that I didn't kill because I was good or my build was good, I killed because the other person was worse than me. Even when I was 1v1 with someone in this game and beat them, I never felt like I was beating them because I am good player or my build is good. Because I am completely destroyed in 15 of the 20 bg I enter and won 5 matches because other teams are really bad. What I don't understand is that when I give everything defensively, I still can't get defensive enough, and when I give everything purely attack-oriented, I still can't hit hard enough. But somehow people can get in between 5 people and live for minutes, they never run out of resources, they can kill all of them, and sometimes they can do enough burst damage to kill instantly. When I make a defensive build, I either have so little stamina that I run out of stamina with 2 break frees, or I have so little damage that I can't kill anyone. And still i get one shot. When both backbar and main bar are fully offensive, I have so little health that I instantly die, and I still can't hit hard enough. While I'm trying like crazy to keep my stamina from running out, other people can use roll dodge and break free infinite times and still use all their skills to do crazy burst damage while maintaining their defensive buffs.
And for Cyrodill, cp or non cp I am completely useless. I can't even do a thing.
What is the logic behind the pvp of this game? Why i am struggling this much? I know I'm not a good player, but I've been playing mmorpg for many years and have played almost every game. I've never played a game in my life where I spent so much time and still couldn't make the slightest progress, understood nothing, and was of no use.

"Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork" by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy provides a paradigm-shifting strategy to attaining goals by focusing on collaboration rather than individual effort. The authors recommend that instead of asking "How can I achieve this goal?" persons should question "Who can help me achieve this goal?"
The fundamental premise of the book is around the concept of the "Who Not How" approach, which highlights the significance of using the abilities and experience of others to accomplish ambitious goals more quickly and effectively. Sullivan and Hardy contend that by surrounding oneself with the proper people and assigning duties to those who are best qualified to tackle them, individuals can expedite their growth and achieve greater success.
Through captivating storytelling and practical examples, the authors explain how adopting a "Who Not How" perspective can lead to breakthroughs in personal and professional performance. They emphasize the necessity of choosing the proper collaborators, creating strong relationships, and fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration.
One of the fundamental concepts of the book is the idea that success is not exclusively based on individual effort, but rather on the collective efforts of a high-performing team. Sullivan and Hardy push readers to let go of the need to control every element of their projects and instead focus on finding the perfect individuals to support and complement their skills and abilities.
In addition to providing practical ways for implementing the "Who Not How" perspective, the authors also address frequent hurdles and misconceptions that may prevent individuals from completely embracing this approach. They offer assistance on overcoming reluctance to delegating, building trust with collaborators, and creating a supportive environment for teamwork and innovation.
Overall, "Who Not How" is a thought-provoking and practical guide that gives excellent ideas and strategies for attaining bigger goals through expedited teamwork. Sullivan and Hardy's collaborative approach and tangible recommendations make this book a fantastic resource for anybody wishing to optimize their impact and achieve better success in their personal and professional efforts. Whether you're a corporate leader, entrepreneur, or aspiring achiever, this book offers important insight and inspiration for unleashing your full potential through the power of cooperation.
Free Audiobook with a free trial of Audible

I have a very similar face Jenna Ortega before she turned 18 (she seemed to have immediately gotten stuff done and the chin dimple we share seems to be much less prominent and she now has hollower cheeks)
thing is, I present male/androgynous
and while i am not bothering to try to be traditionally masculine, i am on this sub after all lmao, i feel a little too cherubic and unbalanced as a result. it doesnt help that while i identified as trans for literally over half my life and been out as such (i am almost 30) i had no access to hrt until 24 which is well past the age of jaw development so im stuck with a more fem jaw and softer features than i would otherwise have
i think getting more definition on my proportionally quite short midface would help but im not sure how other than buccal fat removal?researching online it seems to be mostly women asking this and suggestions are to get botox to slim jaws which doesn't really match my goals here imo. i also see reports of filler but in addition to high cost for something so temporary i highly suspect it would migrate on me for a variety of reasons
i really like the results ive seen of 20% buccal fat reductions but im still cautious due to the horror stories :/
i also am strongly considering a genioplasty (sliding chin slightly forward and very very slightly down) which i think will help androgynize my features a bit. [in profile my chin is strong but in 3/4 view it does look lacking]
current ways i try to visually lengthen midface: wear rectangular glasses rather than square/round, tweeze eyebrows to increase lid space and add very slight arch, occasionally contour (dark edges around nose bridge + upper cheek hollows and along jaw, dab of grapeseed oil at top of cheekbones as highlighter lol) but i want something more.. endogenous
also in case it is relevant: i am 123 lbs and 5'6" i work a physical labor job outside in FL. it is not realistic for me to contour daily nor lose weight.
and i can pm pictures of my face but i really do have a similar face to her just more rounded lol

Now don't get me wrong, both games are great. It's just that this one mechanic makes BOTW so frustrating to me to a point where the enjoyment is sucked out of it for me. And the mechanic in question is the weapon system. I just can't stand it. It's not even the fact that the weapons broke too easily, it's finding new weapons. It felt like battling enemies always resulted in a net negative, I felt like I hardly got my hands on weapon that were even decent. Fighting monsters felt so wasteful that I eventually just started avoided them all together to keep the only good weapons I had from being used.
I feel like TOTK took everything that ruined my experience with BOTW and fixed it. The fusing mechanic was such a saving grace for this game. Weapon were much easier to replace and it gave me incentive to hunt out monster parts for better fuses. It became extremely worthwhile to invade enemy camps. I pretty much always ended up with a net positive from these encounters. My only complaint about the fuses is that some of the weapon can honestly look a little bit ridiculous, but it mostly depended on which monster parts you used. And to top it all off, I eventually learned that you can actually repair your weapons so now that I have some silver lynel horns, I know they won't even go to waste.
I finished the main story of Tears of the kingdom about of month ago, and while I've been playing to complete the shrine and upgrade the ancient hero's aspect, there was something that felt just a touch unsatisfying and it took me a little to really figure out what it was. And I realized that I pretty much preferred everything else in botw and the only thing that made me enjoy TOTK more was the weapon system. I mean there were a couple other things, I really enjoyed the building mechanic and I think it was a fun way of implementing the puzzle aspect of Zelda to the open world even if it might've needed a few touch ups to perfect. I also prefer Ganondorf to the generic monstrosity that is Calamity Ganon, but's it's certainly not a deal breaker. And the master sword pull was pretty special I do have to say.
Botw had so many things going for it which is why the firkin weapon system is irking me so much. For example, I personally thought the story and setting were much better. I truly appreciated the post apocalyptic world that BOTW had to offer, the game had a great introduction and the final battle was awesome, especially if you did the divine beasts. I really liked the memories and I think the reason I liked them better is because I liked that you were finding pieces of Link's memory that he lost, as opposed to TOTK where you find out information that would have really been useful if Link just opened his mouth to the characters wondering why Zelda is acting strange. And I really do miss the guardians, not because I liked killing them but because they were terrifying in a way that the gloom hands didn't quite live up to. I mean they'll snipe you down from your paraglider. And I do have to say, the sages were implemented significantly better in my opinion. Both story wise and gameplay wise.
I just had to get out some thoughts about the game and thought this would be a good place to see if anyone else might've shared the same feelings. Again they are both fantastic games and I would recommend them to many people. They truly are some of the best games on the Nintendo switch. I'm not sure if I'll ever fully come around to breath of the wild's gameplay unfortunately. Maybe someone here in the comments may be able to offer some thoughts that may change my perspective

"The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Rich" by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko is an illuminating investigation of the habits, lifestyles, and traits of self-made millionaires in the United States. Through extensive research and interviews, Stanley and Danko expose prevalent illusions about money and provide vital insights into how regular persons can attain financial success.
The book challenges the notion of millionaires as flamboyant spenders living luxurious lifestyles, instead exposing that the majority of millionaires live modestly and prioritize financial discipline, prudence, and hard work. Stanley and Danko develop the notion of "prodigious accumulators of wealth" (PAWs) and "under accumulators of wealth" (UAWs), stressing the actions and attitudes that divide the two groups.
One of the primary discoveries of "The Millionaire Next Door" is the significance of living below one's means and investing intelligently for the long term. The writers emphasize the significance of thrift, budgeting, and avoiding debt as vital tactics for generating wealth over time. They also stress the significance of financial independence and self-reliance, pushing readers to take control of their finances and prioritize saving and investing.
Through captivating anecdotes and real-life examples, Stanley and Danko explain how millionaires from all backgrounds and occupations have attained financial success by sticking to these principles. The book also gives practical guidance for anyone trying to replicate the habits and behaviors of self-made billionaires, including recommendations for budgeting, saving, and investing.
Overall, "The Millionaire Next Door" is a timeless classic that offers useful insights and suggestions for reaching financial independence and growing wealth. Stanley and Danko's research-based methodology and approachable writing style make this book both instructive and fascinating for readers of various backgrounds. Whether you're just starting out on your financial journey or wanting to improve your financial habits, this book offers vital information and motivation for accomplishing your goals.
Free Audiobook with a free trial of Audible

Hi everyone! I would like to share with you this alternative approach to make focus on attacking football. It is based on F1 points system.
Modern football suffers from a plenty of teams using heavy-oriented defensive approach, where a team can park the bus thus leading to entertainment factor to suffer drastically.
With this approach — every goal will make a difference. Even if one team is losing 0-3 at the 90' minute, even one their's goal could affect the eventual position of their opponent at the end of the match day.
Two teams that would draw 3-3 would be ranked higher rather than the two that had goalless draw.
Team that has scored that fastest goal, and got into top-10 will get a bonus point.
Detailed classification rules are available here: https://imgur.com/XI9Sb91
Video version here https://youtu.be/exoCyeYgIg4

This quick read shows how the two main approaches to happiness are seamlessly integrated in Positive Psychology’s PERMA model to create a solid platform for building and maintaining our wellbeing.
Introduction
In exploring happiness and wellbeing, we quickly encounter two historical perspectives: the Hedonic and Eudemonic traditions. Originating from ancient Greek philosophers Aristippus and Aristotle respectively in the fourth century BC, their traditions offer distinct approaches to happiness and wellbeing. The Hedonic approach centres on pleasure seeking and pain avoidance, while the Eudemonic tradition emphasises achieving ones’ potential at a deeper level. It is crucial to recognise that the pursuit of pleasure does not always guarantee happiness or wellbeing. Overindulgence in substances like alcohol, drugs, and food may lead to detrimental health consequences. Also, virtuous acts, like acts of courage or dedicated work, may not always result in pleasure.
Wellbeing as a holistic concept
Wellbeing integrates both traditions and is the goal of Positive Psychology - the study of optimal human functioning. It identifies six key dimensions as summarised in the PERMA model: Positive emotions, positive Engagement, positive Relationships, positive Meaning, positive Accomplishment – and there is a silent H for physical health. The term "flourishing" encapsulates living in your optimal range of human functioning, incorporating a balance between positive emotions with high engagement in absorbing activities, meaningful relationships, achievement, and physical health.
The advantages of wellbeing, as per the PERMA model, are self-evident. The model encompasses:
· Positive emotions: Individuals with high levels of positive emotions enjoy healthier lifestyles, enhanced optimism, and more efficient immune systems, contributing to illness prevention and improved recovery. See my posts in Broaden and Build theory / Thought Action Repertoire.
· Engagement in skilled activities - often referred to as ‘Flow’ – when we apply our signature strengths to pursuits we value, we tend to produce our best outputs.
· Satisfying relationships- with our self, others, and the communities - online and IRL - we engage with.
· A sense of meaning and purpose, and satisfaction / fulfilment from accomplishments already achieved and those in progress.
There is an extensive evidence base confirming that each of these elements contribute to long-term benefits.
Integrating Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and wellbeing
In our quest for optimal wellbeing, Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) is a natural ally. This approach, rooted in pragmatism and forward-focused thinking, aligns seamlessly with PERMA wellbeing.
· Positive motions: Solution Focused Hypnotherapy cultivates positive emotions by guiding individuals to envision a future where their goals are realised. This approach offers an extensive body of knowledge and tools for enhancing the positive emotions dimension of PERMA.
· Positive engagement: by integrating therapeutic trance with the Solution Focused Brief Therapy approach, SFH supports individuals in accessing their inner resources and developing new skills. Personal growth and skills development directly contribute to the positive Engagement dimension of PERMA.
· Positive relationships: wellbeing revolves around meaningful connections – with our self, with family, friends. SFH supports improving communication skills and interpersonal relationships by addressing underlying issues and promoting positive communication patterns.
· Positive meaning: SFH supports individuals to explore and articulate their sense of purpose. By exploring what gives life meaning, SFH contributes to developing a sense of purpose consistent with the meaning dimension of PERMA.
· Positive accomplishments: setting and achieving goals is a fundamental aspect of SFH. By assisting individuals in establishing strategic directions and breaking down larger objectives into manageable steps, SFH supports the positive accomplishment dimension of PERMA.
· Positive health: SFH positively impacts health at a general level - stress reduction, improved sleep, and a better functioning immune system. Typical specific issues include improved physique, reductions in drinking and smoking and enjoying a healthier lifestyle.
As we navigate our wellbeing’s ever-changing tides and winds, acknowledging the importance of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment, and health provides a steady map guiding our journey through a flourishing life. And Solution Focused Hypnotherapy provides us with the steady ship.

Hi everyone! I would like to share with you this alternative approach to make focus on attacking football. It is based on F1 points system.
Modern football suffers from a plenty of teams using heavy-oriented defensive approach, where a team can park the bus thus leading to entertainment factor to suffer drastically.
With this approach — every goal will make a difference. Even if one team is losing 0-3 at the 90' minute, even one their's goal could affect the eventual position of their opponent at the end of the match day.
Two teams that would draw 3-3 would be ranked higher rather than the two that had goalless draw.
Team that has scored that fastest goal, and got into top-10 will get a bonus point.
Detailed classification rules are available here: https://imgur.com/XI9Sb91
Video version here https://youtu.be/exoCyeYgIg4

So, some time ago I tried to figure out how that whole screenwriting thing works...

• holistically (I read a lot about conflict, weaknesses, goals, obstacles etc. and from my perspective it was difficult to understand all connections between all these terms)
  
• fundamentally (what are basic mechanisms behind all these terms, are they really that important etc.)
  
• universally (so, to keep it at basic level to fit all of it into almost any mainstream story)
  

But here's the thing, I can't write about all of it, if it's detached from a screenwriter, because it's good to know context to understand everything else, so I want to keep everything connected and make sense out of it.
So, let's start from the talent.
I read a lot about it here and there, probably like everyone else - you need to be talented, talent is important, you're not talented enough for this or that, blablablabla...
The thing is it doesn't explain anything. Like what exacly is that talent? What does it affect and how? Why some people just aren't too good and others are perceived as very talented.
Like we have young Picasso (I could probably talk about Mozart or some famous screenwriter here, but somehow a painter is more appealing to me as an example), way before he went into cubism. So, Picasso starts early and he makes cool paintings, so already at young age we can consider him very talented. But of course no matter how talented he is, he doesn't start with realistic, sophisticated paintings. His first pictures contained simplified shapes, bad lighting, wrong colors, same stuff all of us made at the beginning, nothing worth mentioning. So, what happened later? One thing, he was definitely passionate about it, so he spent a lot of time, drawing and painting stuff, but does it explain his fast and enormous progress? I guess not, because I doubt many people his age (even commited to painting) were able to achieve his level as fast as he did so early. So...
I would say talent was just his potential to improve himself at specific pace, but also it was a potential to reach specific level. As very talented individual he reached high level very fast. So, less talented people would improve themselves at slower pace and they wouldn't be able to achieve that level and at some point they would just stop at average, or maybe even worse level.
Ok, great, but level of what? How talent actually translates into improvement of quality of somesone's art? Like we have someone who is quite talented, he spent some time on some artistic activity and at some point his stuff is just better. It's still not really clear how that talent connects to the process of creating better art.
And that leads me to taste.
Again, let's say we're painting a picture, so we're making a sketch. Now, it's important to forget about what we've learned about composition, anatomy, architecture etc. so let's just focus purely on taste. So we're sketching some very abstract entity.
We make a sketch and, well, it's bad (which is fine), so we fix it and we fix it and so on, till... we just stop fixing it, because we reached the level of quality we accept. It looks good (from our perspective), so we judged quality of that sketch based on our taste.
So, talent slowly (or at faster pace) improves our taste to some level and that taste helps us to judge intuitively (not critically, using for example theory of composition) quality of our work.
Same with composing music or just screenwriting. We write a scene and it's... bad. So we fix it and we fix it till we perceive it within our taste as acceptable. Of course maybe our taste is still on average level, so we're fine with something which is (according to industry standards) average and we're not aware of that.
So talent affects how fast and how much we can develop our taste, but what develops taste? This, I believe, is quite obvious. For a screenwriter it's all about watching movies, tv series, playing video games, reading comic books, books and screenplays, so overall experiencing various art directly connected with what we do.
Does writing (practice) also improves it? Probably yes, in a way. Like it teaches us specific approach and each time we start new script we follow that approach more and more, like trying to not overwriting (especially dialogues), keep it clear and simple, overall removing unnecessary stuff. So in a way it's also improved, not intuitive, rational process.
So, to put it simple

• let's say your talent is on average level (probably like most people, including me, which is completely fine)
  
• you spent some time watching movies, so you improved your taste to average level (at average pace determined by talent and with hard cap at very good or maybe even great level of taste limited by average talent)
  
• you write first draft
  
• it's bad and you see it, so you improve it within limit of your taste
  
• now the draft is on average level
  
• you go back to watching more movies, but also writing alone improved your taste
  
• you write next script, you fix it, and it's definitely better than the previous one, at quite good level (according to industry standards)
  
• so you repeat the process
  

All right, let's talk about voice (and style).
So, I think it's quite important thing to address - a voice is not a style. I see that misconception everywhere, so I wanted to start from this bold statement, but now let me back up a little.
I often read here about managers looking for screenwriters with strong voice, but what it really is, how it affects writing, why it is so important.
It seems really simple, like they're just looking for a soldier who wrote about war. Or a former lawyer who wrote court drama. Or someone from specific minority who wrote about that minority. The list goes on.
So, obviously they have knowledge about subject they explore. But is it enough? Soldier knows how to reload a gun, how it looks like to be in a middle of firefight or how to operate military equipment, but we can learn that (at acceptable level required in a screenplay) quite fast from easily accessible sources.
So there must be something more to it.
The way I see it, it's more about overall perception shaped by many observations determined by vast amount of knowledge about specific part of reality someone acquired over a long time.
Ok, but perception, observations and knowledge about what? I bet it's obvious - people. Who they really are, how they behave, how reality affects them, but not just common reality, but very specific, unusual reality, not entirely explored by everyone else. Same with any minorities, another professions etc. All of that determines characters in stories.
So, is it really that necessary? In my opinion it's like asking a question is it important to create characters that are interesting, because they make unusual, original, unexpected and therefore interesting choices, so obviously yes, but I think it's more about the question what determines someone's voice.
There are plenty succesfull screenwriters, who are just... screenwriters, who just watched a lot of movies and read a lot of scripts and if we assume voice is determined by our perception of other people, at the most basic level we can just rely on our personal experience and what we learnt about people from... art, because art (movies, tv series, comic books etc.) explores people.
But I wouldn't say all sources are equal. Limiting yourself to art (and reading screenplays), limits acquired knowledge to something which was already made and seen by many. Life of an average screenwriter isn't probably very unusual either. That - if we exclude unusual profession or being part of specific minority - leads to social sciences - books, articles, interviews - which are probably the best - both regarding efficiency and learning about unexplored areas of our reality - sources to shape voice (especially if that knowledge is easily accessible through internet). But again, a person of average talent and very good taste that already watched thousands of movies still can achieve anything and there are plenty examples or different approaches that lead to successful career. At the end, if the result is entertaining (more about it later), that's all that matters.
So, again, to put it simple

• we learn from our own experience, our profession, social sciences and art about people
  
• that knowledge leads to interesting observations that shape our perception on people and thus, our voice
  
• we implement that voice into characters we write, defining who they really are, how they behave, what kind of decision they make on every page in every scene, from the most important ones to most subtle changes in dialogues etc. to make them more entertaining
  

So voice is not really a style, which is just a way we describe what is happening. Some have minimalistic style, some go into purple prose, some prefer vivid, but quite short descriptions. That description may show author as bitter, cynical, joyful, but it's still disconnected from his perception on people that affects directly actions of his characters.
So, does style really matter? I guess it's main purpose is just to entertain a reader, but it barely translates into what we see on the screen (of course producers, agents, managers etc. may have some preferences here regarding being entertained in a specific way, so I would say it's subjective and opinions vary, but in comparison taste and voice are still crucial).
If you disagree with anything or if would you like to add something (also if you just see it different), write a comment, I'm here to improve my approach (even writing about it alone helps me to organize this subject), so any feedback is appreciated. Next part coming soon.

Hi everyone! I would like to share with you this alternative approach to make focus on attacking football. It is based on F1 points system.
Modern football suffers from a plenty of teams using heavy-oriented defensive approach, where a team can park the bus thus leading to entertainment factor to suffer drastically.
With this approach — every goal will make a difference. Even if one team is losing 0-3 at the 90' minute, even one their's goal could affect the eventual position of their opponent at the end of the match day.
Two teams that would draw 3-3 would be ranked higher rather than the two that had goalless draw.
Team that has scored that fastest goal, and got into top-10 will get a bonus point.
Detailed classification rules are available here: https://imgur.com/XI9Sb91
Video version here https://youtu.be/exoCyeYgIg4

Lately I’ve had a few self care goals I’m trying to incorporate into my life, like: Walking at least 10,000 steps, or exercise on my stationary bike every day; Take care of my skin better (I have naturally good but sensitive skin, but I have these stubborn melasma splotches from pregnancy I’m trying to lighten); Eat more mindfully, and use the Noom subscription I’m paying for to lose weight.
But every time I’m doing one, and try to add another in, I drop the first. It’s like I’m trying to juggle and don’t know how to juggle. So I end up dropping all of these “extra” tasks. These are of course in addition to having a full time job (new promotion and learning the job/ training my replacement and doing old job too), a husband and daughter, a house to take care of, groceries, making lunch and breakfast for myself and daughter, social life, sex life, doctors appointments… I’ve not had a problem with the main tasks (keeping my job and my family alive) but whenever I try to add something else in, it pushes something else out and upsets the delicate balance usually resulting in pushing 2 things out. “Sorry babe, I have no interest in sex because I went on a walk and washed and moisturized my face today before bed”. (To be fair, the skincare is really confusing because I can’t just do the same thing everyday. My skin will overreact to too many new products, so I have to take it slow and keep track of what I’m using on what days, stagger things. It’s actually too complicated, and I haven’t been writing it down even though I got myself a white board for this exact reason and… a lot of different products to try…)
Anyway, I guess I’m just looking for some solidarity or suggestions here. Feeling like a failure because other people do it = I should be able to do it. The shitty little voice in my brain is like, WHY can’t you do it again? You’re literally on the couch right now. (Not ADHD medicated, just on anxiety meds for reference.)

Spoilers for Chainsaw Man and Attack on Titan
I really dislike it when authors make sure that the main characters overcome an obstacle that would normally require to kill some enemies, and they manage to do it without casualties because they (the authors) don't want them to be possibly questionable or straight up unlikable
This rant is as low effort as it gets, I only have two examples, one case that does what I critisize and one that does it the right way. I'm sure there are many more and better examples, but this topic came to my mind after the conclusion of the most recent CSM arc so that's all I have for today.
-Chainsaw Man: the most recent arc was the prison break arc, Asa and Famine had the task to rescue Chainsaw Man from a Public Safety detention facility that is super protected by several devils, hybrids, PS officers and all kinds of advanced military technology. Chainsaw Man is a big deal so it's obviously very well hidden and protected. Anyway, our heroes manage to make their way into it by taking over their own turrets, and that causes no casualties. Fine, nobody was behind the hole they made to the wall, it's not out of the world. After that they accidentally break free the three amigos. In the meanwhile there's this eye patch PS officer that is supposed to be the villain of the arc. Anyway , as they run into several armed soldiers, Famine pulls out her pigeon devil, orders him to kill them, but of course the devil just cuts their weapons and clothes. This is a bit forced, the explanation being that under Fami's control the devils are weaker (I don't even wanna imagine what a full power falling devil is capable of). Then they run into Katana man and Nail fiend, and Asa makes them join with diplomacy. Fair and very appreciated. He brings them to CSM's location, and there are three funny guys from the scientific department who had the job to mismember him and put the pieces in different boxes. The loser squad breaks in and they reassemble the body, but of course nobody touches the psychos that did that. And finally, (a very bad conclusion for an otherwise great arc), the deus ex machina Quanxi comes to the rescue of eye patch. Even if in this case Quanxi initially opposes the main guys, she's still a very beloved character, so the author made sure to make her look badass, destroying everyone to stop the conflict, but of course without killing anyone, even if she obliterated Nail fiend (fiends are weak af, Quanxi is notoriously OP, Nail should have definitely died with that blow). And who kills the, let's call him main, villain of the arc? An unnamed character that is one of the many CSM zombies that break out of the cell that detained them! So the only actual death of this arc that was supposed to be bloody as hell is a supposedly morally worse character that gets killed by an unnamed zombie! This was supposed to be Public Safety's most secure facility, but they got away from it with CSM so easily! Fujimoto really did go out of his way to make sure that Asa and Fami would get out of the facility with CSM but without casualties.
-Attack on titan: here's an example of an author who doesn't shy away from making his characters look morally questionable when they are. Context: Eren is marching with his rumbling with the goal to destroy the world. A few Paradisians join forces with Marley's warriors in order to stop him. From the Marley warrior it's nothing strange, since they are trying to protect their homeland (and the world), but for the Paradisians this was a big moral dilemma, because sure saving innocent people is the right thing to do, but at the same time the rest of the world hates the "demons of Paradis", so they would be basically doing something generous that the other side would never do for them. Anyway, even if it's insanity, even if they could live luxurious lives inside the walls with no threat of outside enemies, they still decide to act like true SC members and launch themselves in the flames of hell to try and stop Eren. However, in order to do so, they have to leave the island and steal the plane, something impossible to do without causing some victims. In fact the Jaegerists are watching the port exactly for this reason, to make sure that nobody could even try to stop the rumbling. Armin tries to find a way to do it with diplomacy, without local victims, but it soon fails, and they have to get blood on their hands. And they do it. No asspulls, no bullshit, no power of friendship, they just get real and realize that there's no other way. One of the strongest scenes is Connie, looking at Daz and Samuel, his old comrades, who are asking him in tears why he is betraying them, and Connie thinks back at Bertholt when he was in the same position of betrayal, when he was doing something terrible "for the sake of humanity", and he realizes that he is the one who has to pull the trigger for the greater good this time. They get blood on their hands and they definitely look bad for it. In the anime they even doubled down on it with that Mikasa sequence where she makes sushi out of two corpses of soldiers (personally I didn't like that addition, it felt an unnecessary overkill, but that's beyond the point). So yeah, the point is that Isayama isn't scared to make his main characters look bad and morally questionable when it's due.
I labelled this as anime and manga because I only made examples from manga, but it applies to any form of media in my opinion.
Several edits: typos I noticed while rereading

Goals may enhance any of the six aspects of wellbeing. Moving towards valued goals or attaining them may increase positive emotions, engagement in skilled activities, development of relationships, meaning and purpose in life, accomplishment and physical health.
That is, striving for goals (the journey) and goal attainment (arriving at the destination) can both enhance wellbeing. Goals can vary on many dimensions, including size (small or large goals) and time-frame (Short, medium, long term) and importance (highly valued, lesser valued). Here, we are considering large, long term, highly-valued goals.
Research on goals shows that they have a number of positive functions.
· They channel effort towards goals and so give life direction.
· They motivate us to keep going and not give up or be distracted.
· They help organise information, skills, and strategies in terms of means and ends.
· Where goals are related to fulfilling basic needs (e.g. acquiring food shelter, or resources) they facilitate survival.
· Where goals are long-term and highly valued (e.g. helping others) they can give life meaning. Without a vision for the future and highly valued goals to work towards, there is a risk of becoming aimless, unmotivated, and disorganised and wasting time doing things that are not valued.
· Highly valued goals create motivations to plan, discover new information, master skills, use strategies, stay focused, resist temptation and distraction, monitor progress, get feedback, take corrective action, manage time and resources effectively, meet deadlines and interact with other people in ways that facilitate goal attainment.
The downside to setting and pursuing highly valued goals is that these processes may sometimes lead to negative effect. There are two main reasons for this. First, goal setting highlights the discrepancy between the current and desired future state. If goal attainment is viewed as a prerequisite for happiness, ruminating about failing to attain goals or actual failure may lead to unhappiness. Secondly, the positive effects of reaching goals are usually transitory – habituation and the hedonic treadmill come in to play. We adapt to positive events such that they quickly become the new normal. However, the positive effects of achieving goals may be prolonged by savouring success. A second strategy is to focus attention on the process. Goal pursuit rather than goal attainment: enjoying the journey, not just the destination, is associated with greater wellbeing. This is particularly true when pursuing long-term, highly-valued goals.
Goals that involve doing activities rather than acquiring possessions, or that involve creating new experiences rather than changing circumstances, are more likely to lead to sustained increases in happiness and wellbeing. We adapt to changes in circumstances more than to changes in intentional activities. Because of this, goals that involve intentional activities have longer-lasting positive effects. Beyond the point at which our basic needs are met, vast increases in material possessions do not lead to commensurate increases in happiness and wellbeing. Because of this, goals that involve doing activities and engaging in new experiences lead to greater wellbeing then acquiring possessions.
Goals that involve approaching a valued outcome (for example, doing kind things for others) usually lead to greater wellbeing and goal attainment than those that involve avoiding an undesirable situation (for example avoiding conflict with others), and there are various reasons for this. It is easier to pursue and monitor progress towards approach compared with avoidance goals. Approach goals elicit more positive than negative cognitions because they focus attention on desirable outcomes. However, for adaptive functioning, a combination of both approach and avoidance goals is necessary, and individual goal preferences may determine the optimal balance of approach and avoidance goals for the wellbeing of any particular individual.
Goals with the following characteristics are more likely to enhance wellbeing:
· Appropriate to your life circumstances.
· They are intrinsically rewarding.
· Aligned with the basic needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness.
· They involve doing activities (more than changing circumstances).
· They engage in valued experiences (more than acquiring possessions).
· They approach valued outcomes (rather than avoiding undesirable outcomes).
· Your goals fit together harmoniously (and don’t conflict).
· They are visualisable / tangible and challenging (rather than fuzzy and easy).
· They inspire a high level of commitment (rather than little commitment).
· They can be monitored to give corrective feedback on progress.

Lately I’ve had a few self care goals I’m trying to incorporate into my life, like: Walking at least 10,000 steps, or exercise on my stationary bike every day; Take care of my skin better (I have naturally good but sensitive skin, but I have these stubborn melasma splotches from pregnancy I’m trying to lighten); Eat more mindfully, and use the Noom subscription I’m paying for to lose weight.
But every time I’m doing one, and try to add another in, I drop the first. It’s like I’m trying to juggle and don’t know how to juggle. So I end up dropping all of these “extra” tasks. These are of course in addition to having a full time job (new promotion and learning the job/ training my replacement and doing old job too), a husband and daughter, a house to take care of, groceries, making lunch and breakfast for myself and daughter, social life, sex life, doctors appointments… I’ve not had a problem with the main tasks (keeping my job and my family alive) but whenever I try to add something else in, it pushes something else out and upsets the delicate balance usually resulting in pushing 2 things out. “Sorry babe, I have no interest in sex because I went on a walk and washed and moisturized my face today before bed”. (To be fair, the skincare is really confusing because I can’t just do the same thing everyday. My skin will overreact to too many new products, so I have to take it slow and keep track of what I’m using on what days, stagger things. It’s actually too complicated, and I haven’t been writing it down even though I got myself a white board for this exact reason and… a lot of different products to try…)
Anyway, I guess I’m just looking for some solidarity here. Feeling like a failure because other people do it = I should be able to do it. The shitty little voice in my brain is like, WHY can’t you do it again? You’re literally on the couch right now. (Not ADHD medicated, just on anxiety meds for reference.)