I. Deconstructing the Cog-in-the-Machine Mentality and the Real-World Dilemma
The emergence of the “cog-in-the-machine mentality” is, in essence, a deconstruction of the mainstream value system. Nearly all real-world political systems and social structures are built upon established mainstream values. Therefore, when the term “cog” appears, it deconstructs not specific policies—not delayed retirement, nor the one-child policy—but directly shakes the very foundation upon which the nation operates.
People today are very busy; who has hours to spend playing mahjong? Just play rock-paper-scissors, winner takes all in one round—that’s thrilling enough. But behind this “thrill” lies a kind of absurdity born from being backed into a corner. We cannot just see the surface-level excitement; we must ask: what brought the situation to this point?
Many overlook one fact: although the “cog’s all-in gamble” appears reckless, even foolish, behind it lies an unsolvable dilemma—wrong if you do, wrong if you don’t, every choice is a bad one. Most “cogs” were never truly taught how to interact with people, especially how to build relationships with the opposite sex, during their formative years. Bound by exam-oriented education from childhood, they didn’t need social skills, didn’t need cooperation, they just needed to know how to solve test problems. Puppy love was treated as a dire threat.
The essence of this education is the “instrumentalization” of people. In childhood, they are “test-taking machines”; as adults, they become “money-making machines.” This life trajectory conforms to traditional values and is also the safest path—don’t analyze those “useless” things that affect studying, just be good at exams. Consequently, people educated this way, when faced with the most complex interpersonal relationship—marriage and romance—can only grope in the dark: bewildered, helpless, like a group of blind men riding blind horses. Whom they meet is entirely up to luck.
The man’s “cog logic” is like frantically accumulating twelve years of test-taking skills, just to turn things around in the single moment of the college entrance exam. The woman is like conducting corporate recruitment, listing dozens of criteria—education, income, age, looks—interviewing for over a decade, only to find that a person who perfectly meets all the requirements simply does not exist on this planet.
These behaviors might resemble studying, might resemble interviewing, but they certainly don’t resemble “getting married.” Therefore, the root of the cog mentality is tragedy. It’s not a matter of intelligence or stupidity, but the inevitable result of a generation being swept along by path dependency. It’s not that they can’t see the trap, but that they simply have no other choice.
A few individuals might indeed fight their way out of the predicament, but the majority go around in circles, ultimately returning to the familiar track of being a tool. Criticizing the “cog mentality” is easy, but we must not forget that this is a generational tragedy shaped collectively by all parts of society. And even more tragic is that this originally tragic path has now been proven unviable by reality.
II. The Collapse of the Myth of Hard Work
Why has this path of “hard work equals success” now failed? Because the economic environment has changed.
In the era of rapid economic growth, “hard work” could bring returns, and the story could still hold up. The pie was growing larger, so even ordinary people could get a few crumbs. But when the economy stagnates or even contracts, no amount of hard work can exchange for much. A lifetime of busyness leaves pockets empty. By this point, even the most simple-minded person will ask—what am I killing myself for?
Some ask: Times were economically tougher in the past, so why didn’t similar reflections appear? The answer lies in how “people” have changed. Young people today grew up in an era of material abundance and information explosion. They’ve “been around and seen things,” value personal feelings more, emphasize equality more, and care more about spiritual needs.
Some say this generation of young people is easily “swayed by trends,” but that’s actually naivete, not stupidity. After being beaten down by reality, they will reflect and grow. The innocence of youth is not shameful—who didn’t have accidents as a child?
I have always believed that each generation will be stronger than the last. Precisely because their horizons are broader, when this generation sees society still defining life by “making money, buying a house, having kids,” they naturally feel a sense of absurdity and resistance, hence creating the term “cog-in-the-machine mentality.”
The popularity of this term precisely indicates that society’s original “singular evaluation system” is collapsing. That set of rewards and punishments has become ineffective. Hard work doesn’t bring hope, ideals can’t support reality, leaving only one choice: Lie down.
The term “lying flat” sounds emotional, even self-abandoning. But think carefully: choosing to lie flat in a system with disordered rules is actually the most rational response. It’s not escape, but calm self-preservation.
After all kinds of people struggle to no avail, they return to rationality: Using the sky as a blanket, the earth as a bed, collectively lying down.
The scene is both spectacular and desolate.
The cog and lying flat are twin brothers. The system demands people become tools, thus giving birth to the “cog mentality”; when the tool consciousness shatters, the individual switches to “lying flat mode.”
Society thus enters an elegant downward spiral: System anxiety —> Criticize young people for not striving —> Stronger backlash —> Everyone lies even flatter.
The musicality of historical规律 (guīlǜ – patterns/laws) plays precisely here.
III. The System’s Revenge and Societal Brittle Fracture
A poisonous tree of “instrumentalization,” growing for decades, has finally borne poisonous fruit. The people tasting the bitterness are merely repaying a historical debt.
Since the “cog mentality” originated earliest in views on marriage and love, let’s observe its evolution from there.
The marriage market is the most naked stage for the “cog mentality”: Men are required to provide continuous material output to prove their own value.
When the cost of marriage becomes so high that it requires squeezing a “cog” dry, the most rational approach is: I’m not playing.
When enough “cogs” choose to exit, the direct consequences for society are chain reactions: Factories close, schools and kindergartens shut down, labor shortages worsen, aging intensifies, social security imbalances.
But this is only the surface. Deeper still—the logic of material exchange in marriage and love further exacerbates gender opposition.
Men feel like ATMs, women feel men only “use money to handle emotions.” The result is: Marriage rates collapse, trust costs skyrocket, social cohesion declines.
When more and more young people do not procreate, do not consume, do not work overtime, and do not participate in the social cycle, the entire system begins to deflate slowly like a leaky balloon.
This is not revolution, but a quiet great betrayal.
The authorities, of course, will not allow the “cog mentality” to become an open social theory. It must be suppressed, censored.
But suppression is ineffective because this is a decentralized, unorganized, yet omnipresent soft resistance.
Lying flat doesn’t need slogans, doesn’t need leaders—it just requires hundreds of millions of individuals to silently refuse in their daily lives.
Thus society gradually “rusts”:
Corporate vitality wanes, employees “just seek to avoid blame”;
The bureaucratic system rigidifies, civil servants also become “cogs”;
The entire population enters a low-desire survival mode.
The direct consequence this brings is a cliff-like drop in societal mobilization capacity.
Donating blood or money becomes foolishness, with no one responding in a crisis. Ideals and beliefs no longer work, only monetary incentives remain.
And the cost of this “monetary mobilization” is too high for any regime to bear long-term.
When the legitimacy the system relies upon rests solely on “performance”—employment, income, growth—once it fails to deliver, people immediately withdraw, “collectively lying flatter.”
As finances shrink, infrastructure crumbles, military and police morale plummets… the system might collapse instantly at a certain tipping point.
This is the so-called “brittle fracture”—
It looks fine on the surface, then collapses in the blink of an eye.
From Eastern Europe to the Soviet Union, history has already provided the template.
IV. Conclusion: The Silent Betrayal and New Possibilities
The “cog-in-the-machine mentality” is the rational response of atomized individuals in an out-of-control system.
It shatters the emotional narrative of the unity of family and state, allowing people to see the cold, hard essence of social博弈 (bóyì – game theory/contest).
It might not bring about a轰轰烈烈 (hōnghōnglièliè – earth-shaking) revolution, but it will bring a silent great betrayal.
This betrayal is not about destruction, but no longer safeguarding.
The city remains, but no one wants to defend it anymore.
For system managers, this isn’t a problem of dealing with a few dissidents, but a fundamental, existential challenge.
Is there a solution to the “cog mentality”?
Of course, but the solution is not condescending lectures:
“Young people, get up and work!”
The real way out is to重塑 (chóngsù – reshape/remold) a fairer, more inclusive society with a more diverse evaluation system.
In such a society, everyone has the freedom to lie flat, and also the freedom to stand up again.
Consensus is not top-down instilled “discipline,”
but bottom-up grown identification.
When the value of a “human being” no longer depends solely on their “cog” attributes, but can be redefined by the completeness of being “human”—
Perhaps only on that day will society regain its vitality.
原文：
力工思维与社会演变
一、力工思维的解构与现实困局
“力工思维”的出现，本质上是对主流价值体系的一次解构。所有现实中的政治体制与社会结构，几乎都建立在既有的主流价值观之上。因此，当“力工”这个词出现时，它解构的并不是某项具体政策——不是延迟退休，也不是计划生育——而是直接动摇了国家运作的地基。
当下的人们都很忙，谁还愿意花几个小时去打麻将？直接石头剪刀布，一局定生死，才够刺激。可这种“刺激”的背后，是一种被逼无路的荒诞。我们不能只看表象的热闹，更该问一句：是什么让局面走到这一步？
许多人忽视了一个事实：虽然“力工梭哈”的行为看起来鲁莽甚至愚蠢，但背后是一种无解的困境——左不是、右也不对，怎么选都是错。大多数“力工”，在成长过程中，从未被真正教导如何与人相处，尤其是如何与异性建立关系。从小被应试教育捆绑，不需要社交，不需要合作，只要会做题就行。早恋更是洪水猛兽。
这种教育的本质是就是把人“工具化”。小时候是“做题机器”，长大后成了“挣钱机器”。这样的生命轨迹，既符合传统价值观，也最安全——不要去分析影响学习的那些“无用”东西，只要会考试就够了。于是，这样教育出来的人，面对婚恋这样最复杂的人际关系时，只能在黑暗中摸索——茫然、无助，像一群盲人骑着瞎马。遇到谁，全凭运气。
男人的“力工”逻辑，就像拼命攒了十二年做题技巧，只为在高考那一刻一举翻身；女人则像在做企业招聘，列出学历、收入、年龄、长相等几十条标准，面试十几年，最后发现——完全符合要求的人，这个星球上根本不存在。
这些行为，也许像在读书，也许像在面试，但就是不像在“结婚”。所以说，力工思维的根子是悲剧。它不是聪明或愚蠢的问题，而是一代人被路径依赖裹挟后的必然结果。不是他们看不见陷阱，而是根本没得选。
少数人确实能从困境中杀出一条血路，但大多数人兜兜转转，最终又回到了熟悉的工具人轨道上。批判“力工思维”容易，但别忘了，这是社会各个环节共同塑造的几代人悲剧。而更可悲的是，这条原本就悲剧的路，如今已被现实证明走不通。
二、努力的神话崩塌
为什么这条“努力即成功”的道路如今失效？因为经济环境变了。
在经济高速增长的年代，“努力”能带来回报，故事还能自圆其说。蛋糕在变大，哪怕普通人也能分得一点渣滓。可当经济停滞甚至衰退时，努力再多也换不来什么。忙碌半生，口袋空空。到这时，哪怕再单纯的人也会问——我拼命是为了什么？
有人问：过去经济更艰难，为什么没出现类似的反思？答案在于“人”变了。今天的年轻人，成长于物质丰富、信息爆炸的时代，他们“吃过见过”，更重视个人感受，更讲平等，也更在乎精神需求。
有人说这一代年轻人容易“被带节奏”，其实那只是单纯，而不是愚蠢。被现实毒打之后，他们会反思，会成长。年轻时的天真，并不可耻——谁小时候没拉过裤子？
我始终相信，一代会比一代强。正因为眼界更开阔，这一代人当看到社会仍用“赚钱、买房、生娃”定义人生时，自然会生出荒诞感与抵触感，于是创造了“力工思维”这个词。
这个词的流行，恰恰说明社会原有的“单一评价体系”正在崩解。那套奖惩机制已经失效。努力换不来希望，理想支撑不了现实，剩下的选择只有一个：躺下。
“躺平”这个词听起来感性，甚至带着自暴自弃的味道。但仔细想，在一个规则紊乱的系统中选择躺平，恰恰是最理性的反应。它不是逃避，而是冷静的自我保护。
当各路人马挣扎无果后，人们回归理性：以天为被，以地为床，集体躺下。
那场面，壮观又荒凉。
力工与躺平，是一对孪生兄弟。系统要求人变成工具，于是催生出“力工思维”；当工具意识破灭后，个体切换成“躺平模式”。
社会于是进入优雅的下降螺旋：系统焦虑——批判年轻人不奋斗——反弹更强——大家躺得更平。
历史规律的音乐性，正在这里奏响。
三、系统的报复与社会的脆断
一棵“工具化”的有毒之树，生长了数十年，如今终于结出毒果。尝到苦味的人们，不过是在偿还历史的债。
既然“力工思维”最早起源于婚恋观，我们就从这里看演化。
婚恋市场是“力工思维”最赤裸的舞台：男性被要求持续地物质输出，来证明自身存在的价值。
当结婚的成本高到需要榨干一个“力工”，最理性的做法就是：不玩了。
当足够多的“力工”选择退出，社会的直接后果是连锁的：工厂关门、学校与幼儿园倒闭、劳动力短缺、老龄化加剧、社会保障失衡。
但这还只是表面。更深层的是——婚恋中的物质交换逻辑，会进一步加剧性别对立。
男人觉得自己成了ATM，女人觉得男人只会“用钱打发感情”。结果是：结婚率崩塌、信任成本暴涨、社会凝聚力下降。
当越来越多的年轻人不生育、不消费、不加班，不参与社会循环时，整个系统开始像漏气的气球，缓慢塌陷。
这不是革命，而是一场静悄悄的大叛离。
官方当然不会允许“力工思维”成为一种公开的社会理论。它必须被压制、被封杀。
但压制无效，因为这是一种分散的、无组织的、却无处不在的软抵抗。
躺平不需要口号，不需要领袖——只需亿万个体，在日常中默默拒绝。
于是社会逐渐“锈蚀”：
企业活力衰减，员工“只求无过”；
官僚体系僵化，公务员也成“力工”；
全民进入低欲望的生存模式。
这带来的直接后果，是社会动员能力的断崖式下降。
献血捐款成了傻事，危机时无人响应。理想信念不再奏效，只剩金钱激励。
而这种“金钱动员”的成本高到任何政权都无法长期承受。
当体制依靠的合法性只剩“绩效”时——就业、收入、增长——一旦做不好，人们立刻抽身，“集体更平”。
当财政萎缩、基础设施坍塌、军警士气低落……系统可能会在某个临界点瞬间崩塌。
这，就是所谓的“脆断”——
表面看着还好好的，转眼就垮了。
从东欧到苏联，历史早已给出模板。
四、结语：静默的叛离与新的可能
“力工思维”是原子化个体在系统失控下的理性回应。
它打碎了家国一体的情感叙事，让人看清社会博弈的冷酷本质。
它或许不会带来轰轰烈烈的革命，但会带来一场静默的大叛离。
这场叛离不是摧毁，而是不再守护。
城还在，却没人想再去保卫它。
对系统管理者而言，这不是处理几个异见者的问题，而是根本性的、存在性的挑战。
那“力工思维”有解吗？
当然有，但解法不是高高在上的训斥：
“年轻人，快起来干活！”
真正的出路，是重塑一个更公平、更包容、更具多元评价体系的社会。
在这样的社会中，每个人都有躺平的自由，也有重新站起来的自由。
共识不是自上而下灌输的“规训”，
而是自下而上生长的认同。
当“人”的价值不再仅仅取决于其“力工”属性，而能以“人”的完整性被重新定义——
那一天，也许社会才会重新焕发生命力。
