Many people take the idea of saving money very seriously. Back in 1924, in Italy, a group of people     1    (think) the inability to resist spending became a major social problem. They had the idea of     2    (start) a day to remind people to put away some money for a rainy day. This is how World Saving Day, held on Oct. 31st annually, was started, and it’s still going strong now.

Not     3    (surprise), a movement targeting the poor was started. People in the     4    (underdevelop) world are more open to calls to be careful with money. But     5     idea of being thrifty (节俭) has also become popular among the rich. Take Mark Zuckerberg     6     example. The Facebook founder, one of the world’s     7    (rich) people, doesn’t spend very much money on himself.

Other people don’t spend money because they don’t like the culture of consumption. This is connected to the view that we should make ourselves happy through the     8    (activity) we take part in, rather than with what we buy.

But however we view money, moderate spending is certainly a good idea when we are still too young to get a job. There is a British saying     9     offers some good advice in this situation: “Look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after     10    (they).”

4 . The needs of plus-size consumers have long been the elephant in the room of the fashion industry until body positivity and fat acceptance movements promoted the slogan (口号) that large-bodied people are not those who are left behind. This size-inclusive (尺码包容) trend has become so popular that it is influencing mainstream culture. As a result, fashion brands have finally decided to extend their size ranges. In 2022, the plus-size market grew twice as fast as the standard size market in both North America and the UK.

Yet, many consumers say fashion brands broadening their ranges are not truly inclusive. “Inclusive sizing means that all bodies are included in fashion, not just the ones who fit in standard sizes,” says Marie Southard Ospina, a UK-based journalist who covers body-image issues. “However, what many designers do right now is pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and stop. This is even more disrespectful.”

Researchers also criticize that some brands are just taking advantage of the trend. “Brands that used to promote so-called perfect bodies in their advertisements are now trying to get in on the trend by adding a few sizes. It doesn’t feel like they really care about plus-size people,” says Tom Burgess, analyst in fashion industry. “If brands cared about large-bodied consumers, then it wouldn’t have taken until now to acknowledge that they exist,” he says. “It gives the impression that companies are just trying to gain a share of the market without a real commitment to the community.”

The fashion industry must go beyond merely producing clothing in a range of sizes if they hope to succeed with a body-diverse world. The whole industry has to connect on a personal level with consumers. That involves showing shoppers that they are seen, understood and important to brands. “Consumers care about values, and so they want to buy from brands that reflect the values they believe in. Everyone should enjoy the same range of fashion options,” says Ludovica Cesareo, professor of marketing at the College of Business in the US.

8 . A new trend called “praise groups” or “in-need-of-praise” chat groups has become popular on Chinese social media. In Chinese culture, where modesty (谦逊) is valued, openly seeking and giving praise is uncommon. These chat groups provide a platform for people to receive compliments (赞扬) and encouragement, which are often lacking in their daily lives.

To join a praise group, users can pay a fee on e-commerce sites, starting at 50 yuan for five minutes of compliments. The group members will then show the person with praises and kind words. The compliments can be designed for a friend or loved one as well. Participants have found that being praised by strangers can help lift their spirits and improve their self-confidence.

For example, Meng Zha, a student at Shanghai’s Tongji University, tried the service and found it amusing and uplifting. She received compliments on her appearance and even quotes (引用) from popular songs. Ms Meng couldn’t help but laugh at the compliments and expressed her desire to post such high-quality praises in the future.

Praise groups have appeared as a way for people in China to seek and receive compliments and encouragement that may be lacking in their daily lives. It provides a positive and uplifting experience for participants, improving a sense of happiness and self-worth.

Those who support the groups, see them as an antidote to extremely bad moods (情绪) which are often associated with things happening on the Internet. “At first, the purpose of this group is to make us learn to praise others and accept others’ praises confidently. Here we can drop everything, and use our heart to praise and support others,” one member said. But the life journey is long and there are some unexpected situations that we can only count on ourselves to face when there is no one out there to offer help.

10 . During the summer of 2021, Beverly Wax, an administrative assistant for a nonprofit, had an experience that filled her with awe. Wax’s central air conditioning had broken down in the heat wave. She’d mentioned to her son that she was having trouble finding someone to come fix it quickly. He showed up with a new unit as a surprise. As she watched him sweat and struggle while pulling the unit up the stairs and fixing it in her bedroom. Wax felt a wave of appreciation.

Awe is that feeling we get when something is so vast it stops us in out tracks. Often, it challenges or expands our thinking. Research shows that awe experiences decrease stress and anxiety and increase overall satisfaction in life, according to Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology. Most of us associate awe with something rare and beautiful nature, music or a spiritual experience. But people can trigger awe too, and not just public heroes. Research shows that we can be awed by out nearest and dearest. Psychologists call this interpersonal awe.

Often, this interpersonal awe is a response to life’s big, sweeping changes, such as witnessing a baby’s first steps. For Lynn Heady, a retired educator, it’s watching a friend fight cancer and still relish (享受) life. But interpersonal awe happens in smaller moments, too. John Bargh, a psychologist, said he was truly awestruck by his then-5-year-old daughter while dining with her in a McDonald’s. When she heard another child crying across the restaurant, she grabbed the toy from her Happy Meal, walked over to the boy and handed it to him.

Unfortunately, we can’t make someone else behave in a way that’s awesome. But we can prime ourselves to notice it when they do-and take steps to boost the emotion’s positive effects.