“Hard work is important. But eating bitterness will make you unhappy.”
Good advice. It says the guy sees no prospect of being able to afford marriage and a family so he’s said fuck it and is just maximizing his happiness in the now.
I see this a lot even here in the US. The big dream is too far out of reach so people are looking for something closer to home that will be okay.
The Party gets rich off the back of the working class. They're the only ones who are truly going to be doing well. For the rest, it is enough if they don't riot.