衰退會過去　你將再起

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	衰退會過去　你將再起

	張大光律師
	世界日報2009暑期教育專刊

許多優秀的亞裔美國人從小到大一帆風順，卻在最近這波經濟衰退大潮中成為無辜的受害者。不少人丟掉飯碗，也有很多人申請法、商學院或研究所，卻被拒之門外；即使還保有工作，他們也很可能心情忐忑，擔心噩運會悄然降臨。

這些人生道路平順的幸運兒，高中畢業就進入長春藤或其他頂尖大學，繼而投入人人稱羨的財金、法律或工程等領域，這場金融風暴可能讓他們中初嚐失敗滋味。他們頭一回感到無助，既無力掌控自己的未來，也無法改變經濟現況，他們感到自己像是一塊浮木，在風雨交加的汪洋上漂流。這篇文章提供一些觀察與建議，願略有助益。

蕭條會結束

美國過去曾發生幾次經濟衰退：（1）1973年石油危機之後；（2）1980年早期的停滯性通膨期間；（3）1990年代早期的經濟衰退，此一衰退促成柯林頓當選總統（「問題在經濟，笨蛋！」一語即由此而來）；（4）2000年網路泡沫化，與911恐怖襲擊後幾年；（5）最後，從2007年延續至今的這場經濟衰退大潮。

換句話說，經濟衰退早已不是新鮮事，即使現在看起來仍然不太樂觀，但它就像過去幾次一樣，終有結束的一天。看看報紙對於過去經濟衰退的報導，或是關於1997年開始的亞洲金融危機的文章，你會看到和現在一樣令人感到灰心沮喪的標題。

不是你的錯

許多亞裔美國人從小受到一個觀念影響：只要成績單上有一個B，肯定是自己不夠努力，或是不夠用功。用來鼓勵孩子進取，這個觀念或許有用，但遇到個人無法掌控的總體經濟環境所導致的挫折，一味自責反而造成心理創傷。

被解僱，不是因為你不夠聰明，或是工作不夠認真。現在的美國社會，約有一成的勞動人口處於失業狀態，其中也包括數十萬名沒有任何過錯的銀行家、律師或企業主管等。你的父母或許仍試圖隱瞞親友，但這絕對不是一件丟臉的事情。

憂鬱是大敵

遇到這種情況，最重要的是照顧好自己的心理健康，當你陷入憂鬱，任何事情都會窒礙難行。憂鬱不僅讓你失去進取心，不願與人打交道，使你疏離朋友，整天只想賴在床上。

心理因素不是造成憂鬱的唯一原因，它同時也可能反映身體缺乏某些能幫助頭腦正常運作的化學成分，例如血清素、正腎上腺素與多巴胺等神經傳導物質。如果憂鬱的情況嚴重，就應尋求專業醫師協助。舉凡Prozac、Zoloft、Celexa、Effexor、Paxil、Lexapro、Wellbutrin與Cymbalta等，都是經過檢驗有效的抗憂鬱藥物，適當的藥物能補足身體需要的重要化學物質。

回家的壞處

許多失業或是找不到工作的年輕人，往往會搬回家與父母同住。父母也多半樂意接納孩子，甚至也不自覺地鼓勵孩子這樣做。要是可以的話，最好不要這麼做，儘管這看起來是一條容易的退路，也能省下房租與飯錢。

當已成年的年輕人搬回家與父母同住，很容易倒退回青少年時期與父母相處的模式，父母會幫他們洗衣、購買生活用品、為他們付帳單。然而不可避免的是，父母又會用對待青少年的方式來對他們。搬回父母家讓年輕人無法獨立，也缺少與同齡朋友往來的機會，這會讓他們更難走出失業後的委靡不振。

旅行見世面

如果你觀察過年輕小貓探索屋子裡面的每一個角落和每一件新東西，再對照終日打盹的老貓，你就會明白年輕人需要旅行與探險的生理原因。假使近期內找到理想工作的機率很低，那麼你就應該出門去旅行。

舉例來說，筆者的女兒去年夏天從大學畢業後，便搬到法國去，她在那裏做過酒保，還在服飾店裡賣過衣服，最後她進入一家新成立的公司，作半工實習生。通過堅持與努力，當然還有很多運氣的成分，她終於得到巴黎一所頂尖國際商學院的入學許可。

在當今年輕人有生之年裡面，亞洲會是全球成長最快的地區，年輕人應該到中國、台灣、香港或是亞洲其他地方去旅行，還應該努力增進自己的中文能力。畢竟，英文能力強、中文又流利的人，還是相對少數。

開創新契機

不像很多其他國家，在美國，即使你沒有註冊資本、發行無票面價值的股票、沒有員工、也沒有特定的商業目標，還是可以開公司。雖然創業未必需要成立公司，但是通常這會讓別人更願意和你有商業往來。　

成立公司的成本低的出奇，而且只需短短數日即可完成手續。如果以有限責任公司（Limited Liability Company，與一般股份有限公司不同）的模式成立，許多開支還能列入個人所得稅表裡的支出項目來抵稅。

網路機會多

網路的發達已弭平很多行業的入門障礙，這些行業包括報業、百科全書與音樂製作等，它將持續推動其他產業轉型，尤其在經濟衰退、企業被迫降價競爭時，這股趨勢會加速前進。一家小企業只要具備電腦設備與網路，往往就可以便宜得多的價錢，提供與其大型競爭對手同樣的服務。

舉例來說，筆者目前正代表客戶辦理一件法庭訴訟案，收取費用僅為對方律師費用的一小部份。代表對方辯護的法律事務所在世界各地共有八處辦公室，僱用超過600名律師，每位律師都配有秘書、法律助理與豪華辦公室，並享受優渥薪資待遇與福利。而筆者經手的電子郵件、訟案文件與合約，與那些跨國法律事務所作出來的文件，都是使用微軟軟體處理，完全一樣。事實上，擁有數十年經驗的筆者所提供的法律服務品質應該更高，對方律師是剛從法學院畢業、拿16萬年薪的年輕律師。

所有聯邦法院和大多數的州法院，都規定一切向他們呈交的文件必須使用網路及同一格式；國家證券交易委員會也規定，一切向他呈交的上市公司報告及股東報告，也必須使用網路及同一格式。所以，獨立辦案的律師，或是每小時收費900元的跨國法律事務所的合夥人，所呈交文件都是一模一樣。

任何公司，不管規模大小，在透過Google或其它搜索引擎所提供的搜索結果裡，只能出現一條。世界最大公司網站的首頁，和最小公司網站的首頁，在用戶電腦瀏覽器裡，也只能出現一頁。網路消弭了規模與地點的固有優勢，提供個人與小企業無數參與、甚至革新產業的契機。

自己的天空

對於一路成功順遂的年輕人來說，被解僱或遭研究所拒絕，彷彿天崩地裂。但是，這次衰退遲早會走到盡頭，就像過去每個曾經發生又已結束的景氣週期一樣，你最終會找到屬於自己的一片天空。現在讓自己消沉沮喪，就是在浪費寶貴生命。在今後的大部分人生時光裡，你多半需要每週工作五（或六）天，在這段人生空檔裡面，你可以去旅行，開創自己的事業，或者只是停下腳步、聞聞玫瑰的芬芳，感激自己跟世上其他真正生活貧困的人相比，已經多麼幸運；好好把握這段時光，否則就只能留待他日追悔了。

WEATHERING THE RECESSION:

THIS STORM SHALL PASS

by T.K. Chang*

World Journal 2009 Summer Education Supplement

Many Asian-Americans, high achievers all their lives and up until recently, have become unwitting casualties in the current recession. Many have been laid off from their jobs or rejected by business, law or graduate schools, and even those who are still working might spend their days in a constant state of panic, wondering when the ax will fall next.

For those who have breezed through high school, graduated from Ivy League or other exclusive colleges and won jobs in finance, law, engineering or other prestigious professions, this recession can be the first major "failure" in their lives. For the first time, they feel completely helpless, unable to have any control over their futures, or over the economy, which seems like a stormy ocean on which they feel like floating driftwood.

This article will offer some observations and suggestions that will hopefully be helpful or useful.

This, Too, Shall Pass

Recessions have occurred with regularity in the recent past: (1) following the rise in oil prices in 1973, (2) during the high inflation and stagnant growth of the early 1980's, (3) during the downturn in the early 1990's that contributed to the election of President Clinton (e.g., the famous saying: "it's the economy, stupid"), (4) after the dot-com bust in 2000 and after 9/11, and finally, (5) this current recession that began in 2007.

In other words, recessions have happened many times before, and the current one will end, just like the ones before it, although this might seem impossible now. Just look up the newspapers from past recessions or from the Asian financial crisis that began in 1997, and you will see the same despondent and discouraging headlines.

It's Not Your Fault

Many Asian-Americans have been conditioned from childhood to believe that if they received a B on a report card, it is because they did not try hard enough or study long enough. While this is an effective way to motivate high achievers, it can be emotionally destructive when the reason for the setback is general economic conditions over which they have no control.

The reason that you were laid off is not because you are not smart enough, or did not work hard enough. Almost 10% of the working population of the U.S. is currently unemployed. Hundreds of thousands of bankers, lawyers and business executives have been laid off, through no fault of their own. It is not something to be ashamed of, despite the fact that your parents might still try to hide it from relatives.

Depression Is Your Enemy

The most important thing in this situation is to take care of your state of mind, because nothing is possible when you are depressed. Depression saps your motivation, makes you unsociable and withdraw from your friends, and leaves you wanting to stay in bed all day.

Depression is not something merely psychological, but is a physical shortage of certain chemicals in your body called neurotransmitters, which are essential for the brain to function normally, including serotonin and norepinephrin and dopamine.

Antidepressant medicines, such as Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor, Paxil, Lexapro, Wellbutrin and Cymbalta, have all been well-tested and proven to remedy deficiencies in important chemicals that the body needs. Regular exercise is a natural way for the body to produce some of these chemicals, and together with treatment with antidepressant medicines, will shorten the time that the body needs to heal.

Do Not Move Back In with Your Parents

Many young people who cannot find jobs or who have been laid off are tempted to move back home with their parents. Parents often like having their children back, and will often unconsciously encourage this. Try not to do this, if you can help it, even though it might seem like the easy way out, and might save a little money on rent and food.

When young people move back home, they often revert to adolescent relationship patterns, in which the parents do their laundry, the grocery shopping and the paying of bills. Inevitably, the parents start treating them like adolescents again. This lack of independence and normal contact with similar-aged friends will make it much more difficult to break out of the inertia and sluggishness that usually follows unemployment.

Young People Need to Travel

If you have ever watched a young kitten explore every corner in a house and every new thing, and contrasted it with an old cat that sleeps all day, you will understand why many young people can have a biological need to travel and to explore. If the chances for finding a job now are very low, one should just take off and go travel.

For example, the author's daughter moved to France after graduating from college last summer, where she worked as a bartender and as a sales clerk in a clothing store, and eventually as a part-time intern in a start-up company. Through luck and perseverance, she eventually gained admission into a top international business school in Paris.

Since Asia will be the fastest growing part of the world during the lifetimes of today's young people, they should travel to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. They should improve their Chinese language skills, because the number of people with both a high level of English and a proficient level of Chinese language skills is still comparatively small.

Start A Business

Unlike in many other countries, it is possible to establish a business in the U.S. with no paid-in capital, no-par-value stock, no employees and no specific business purpose. While it is not necessary to incorporate a company to start a business, it tends to make others take you more seriously.

The cost of incorporating a company is surprisingly low, and can be done in a couple of days. And if you incorporate as a limited liability company (or L.L.C.), then you can treat many common expenses as deductible expenses on your individual income tax return.

The Internet Levels the Playing Field

The Internet has already leveled the playing field in many industries, including newspapers, encyclopedias and music CD's. It will continue to transform other industries, a trend that will accelerate during a recession, when companies are forced to compete on price. It is often possible for a small company, with the aid of computers and the Internet, to provide exactly the same services as its much bigger competitors, but much more cheaply.

For example, the author is currently representing a client in a court case, at a fraction of the cost, against a law firm with over 600 attorneys (all with secretaries and paralegals, posh offices and generous salaries and benefits) and eight expensive offices around the world. The author's e-mails, briefs and contracts use the same Microsoft programs, and look identical to those of the multinational law firm. In fact, the legal services are probably superior, because they are provided by a lawyer with decades of experience, instead of a first-year associate just out of law school being paid $160,000 salary per year.

Because of the Internet, court papers filed on the electronic filing systems used by Federal and state courts, or filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, look exactly the same, whether filed by an individual, or by a multinational law firm with partners billing at $900 an hour.

A multibillion dollar company's website and a start-up company's website both appear as one entry in Google's search results, and each appears as one single web page on the computer screen. By eliminating many of the inherent advantages of size and physical location, the Internet offers many opportunities for individuals and small companies to compete in and sometimes to revolutionize businesses.

It's Not the End of the World

For high achievers used to success all their lives, being laid off or rejected by graduate schools can seem like the end of the world. But this recession will end, as business cycles have always ended in the past, and you will eventually land on your feet. Time spent being depressed is life wasted. You are likely to be working five (or six) days a week for most of the rest of your life in the future. You will then look back with regret upon this interlude, when you had the time to travel, to start something on your own, or simply to stop and smell the roses, and appreciate how incredibly lucky you already are, compared to the billions of people living in real poverty in the rest of the world.

* T.K. Chang is a lawyer in New York and a graduate of Harvard Law and Business Schools.