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A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. It conjures up the image of the futile efforts of a lab rat trying to escape while running around a maze or in a wheel.
In an analogy to the modern city, many rats in a single maze expend a lot of effort running around, but ultimately achieve nothing (meaningful) either collectively or individually. This is often used in reference to work, particularly excessive or competitive work; in general terms, if one works too much, one is in the rat race. This terminology contains implications that many people see work as a seemingly endless pursuit with little reward or purpose.
The increased image of work as a "rat race" in modern times has led many to question their own attitudes to work and seek a better alternative; a more harmonious work-life balance. Many believe that long work hours, unpaid overtime, stressful jobs, time spent commuting, less time for family life and/or friends life, has led to a generally unhappier workforce/population unable to enjoy the benefits of increased economic prosperity and a higher standard of living.
With regard to environmental problems and the tragedy of the commons, rat races occur when governments compete to have the lowest environmental standard in order to remain attractive to polluting industries. For example, if one country has a high carbon tax in order to internalize externality costs, production may mitigate to countries that have lower standards and lower costs to the country at a much higher societal cost. Thus, it becomes a race for the lowest acceptable environmental standard at high externality costs, even though individually the counties my all be better off societally if there was no such race. It is becomes a prisoners dilemma where no one wins.
Escaping the rat race can have a number of different meanings:
Sociology, Human rights, Anthropology, World population, Sex
Philosophy, Psychology, Law, God, Category theory
Tokyo, New York City Subway, Rush hour, Baltimore, Maryland
Education, Human Development Index, Australia, Switzerland, Netherlands
Population, Analogy, Commuting, Standard of living, Retirement
Simple living, Consumerism, Permaculture, Time, Global warming
Tongzhou District, Beijing, Beijing, Avant-garde, Idealism, Old Summer Palace
World War II, Neet, Economy of Japan, German language, Simultaneous recruiting of new graduates