There are some things that are zero sum or reasonably approximated by a zero sum game, and they are increasingly the tickets to multigenerational prosperity, namely real estate, promotions, job offers, and college admission slots. If you are a start up, your market can realistically only support X companies each getting a piece of the pie.
I contend that the rat race exists not because of collective delusion but because of basic economics.
we'll have a large recession - which will knock prices back down. The Fed has prevented this from happening but have to let the air out soon - but they have to make it look like it isn't their fault. (Cue gas prices)
You think it was coincidence numerous members of the Fed Reserve resigned ~6 months ago? They need to not be associated with the policies - and the Fed Reserve,as a private entity, knows that it needs alternate reasons / methods for a recession. Blame must always be passed in government. The easiest way to go into recession naturally - is bond market routs and high gas prices.
The Fed is aware that in today's 'cancel culture' a lot of public outcry that finally realizes the Fed's activities weaken it's future if political will becomes too strong. Thus it needs something to 'point to' for those whose brains freeze up when 'numbers' are involved.
With a lot of young people opting out of having kids and trying to find their own way in life, it would make sense that the anti-work and anti-hustler culture is much more prevalent in younger people (millenials being first). Its a generational shift first of all driven by oncoming climate disaster due to over population and will be felt through wars and hungers. Why should young people contribute to such a society and create more suffering in the process.
I am not an anti-natalist, but if we start talking multi-generational that's what it comes down to
It is true over a longer horizon, you lose that job opportunity to a better employee they can maybe excel and increase the pie and make it more likely they want to hire you or someone else, but over the short run I think it can be approximated with a zero sum game, there's one job opportunity (that you covet) and your victory comes at your competitors' expense and vice versa.
This may be less clear in tech and for us cause the boom times have been very good, but imagine a scenario like the big company in your small town is hiring, and that's your path to potentially a steady income. You don't know when they are hiring again, and your town's opportunities are limited.
In any case the idea that there aren't zero sum competitions in life (another example is competing for a certain romantic partner, something I didn't even mention which i realize is implicitly perhaps behind a lot of this among young people) is a myth that a lot of people push because they simply don't like competition and competing I think. Not only are there zero sum or approximately zero sum games in life, they are among the most impactful ones.
Also greed. For more and more people, "enough" is never enough. This is reflected in the increasing sense of FOMO in some circles and appeals to greed like the "have fun staying poor" meme in crypto.
It's telling that conservative groups that rail against the sins of lust, gluttony, sloth, and envy usually leave out pride, greed, and wrath.
I contend that the rat race exists not because of collective delusion but because of basic economics.