内卷
Neijuan — "Involution"
What is Neijuan?
Neijuan (内卷) describes a phenomenon where intense competition and effort don't lead to meaningful progress or better outcomes. It's a critique of systems that demand more work without providing proportional benefits.
The Paradox
In a neijuan system, everyone works harder, but no one gets ahead. The competition becomes self-defeating — like running faster on a treadmill that's not going anywhere.
Common Examples:
- Students studying 12+ hours daily for exams that don't measure real learning
- Employees working overtime to appear dedicated, not to be more productive
- Job markets where qualifications keep rising but opportunities stay the same
- Social media where everyone tries to out-perform, but the content quality doesn't improve
- Meme coins that over-complicate simple concepts with unnecessary features, making them harder for average people to understand and use
The Cycle
Neijuan creates a vicious cycle: as competition intensifies, standards artificially inflate. What was once exceptional becomes the new baseline. Everyone must work harder just to maintain their position, not to advance it.
Why It Matters
This concept challenges us to question whether our efforts are truly productive or just performative. It asks: Are we building something meaningful, or just spinning our wheels faster?