转载 · X[Repost] X Import: HenryMorgan｜Why People Usually Sense Burnout Coming but Still Can't Stop

The tragedy of Gao Guanghui, a 32-year-old programmer that was hotly discussed some time ago, has exposed the bloody reality of China’s high-intensity workplace (especially IT, technology, and management): a “struggler” who loved code and climbed from the bottom to department manager died suddenly while doing work on a weekend morning. However, he was pulled into the work group during the rescue and received an “urgent task” message after his death.

The medical records pointed out that “programmers often stay up late and are under high-intensity stress.” This is not an isolated case, but a mirror image of countless Chinese boys digging their own graves in the “996” or more ruthless culture. The core pain point of the incident was not the sudden death itself, but that Gao Guanghui clearly felt “uncomfortable” and even thought of “taking his computer to the hospital” after he fainted – he knew his body was alarming, but he couldn’t stop. Why?

The following is an in-depth analysis from the perspectives of psychology, sociology and economics, and then gives sharp life-saving advice for male men in specific professions in China (such as programmers, product managers, migrant workers in investment banks, etc.), including marriage choices to avoid the chain reaction of family tragedies.

1. Why can’t I stop even though I know I’m going to die? ——”Chronic suicide” under multiple shackles

Gao Guanghui’s case was not an accident, but a systematic “murder”. Physical signals (such as extreme fatigue, chest tightness, palpitations, and syncope) had already turned red, but he chose to “carry on”. Behind this is not a simple “love of work”, but a deep structural problem, which makes people very likely to know that their death is coming, but still continue to work like a moth to a flame.

Cultural brainwashing and the poison of “struggle narrative”:

In the Chinese workplace, especially in large Internet companies or high-pressure industries, “strugglers” are deified as heroes. Gao Guanghui “likes code very much” and feels that “value can be realized” here. This is a typical poisoning symptom of “wolf culture”. Having been taught since childhood that “hard work and hard work are the key to success”, boys regard overwork as “manliness”. In the article, as a manager, he said, “I have to work overtime with everyone.” This was not voluntary, but abduction – if you don’t work, you will be marginalized and eliminated. Result: When the body calls the alarm, what is on the mind is not life, but the “mission deadline” and “don’t let the team lose its chain.” This is a kind of collective hypnosis: knowing that you are about to die, you still feel that “getting through it will be victory” until you actually die.

Economic pressure and the real shackles of “house slaves and car slaves”:

Gao Guanghui comes from a rural area and worked part-time while in college. After buying a house, he repaid a monthly loan of more than 10,000 yuan. This represents countless Chinese boys: high housing prices, childcare costs, and education involution in first-tier cities make “stopping” equal to economic suicide. The irony implicit in the article is that after his death, the company applied for a work-related injury (which was accepted), but what about during his lifetime? Overtime pay is vague and social security is barely adequate. Suspension of work means a cliff in income, loss of mortgage payments, and family collapse. Boys know that their bodies are collapsing, but they bet that “if they work hard for a few more years, they will be financially free” – this is the ultimate in luck psychology and ignores the probability of sudden death (according to the National Health Commission, more than 540,000 people die from overwork in China every year, mostly men aged 30-50).

Psychological numbness and “adaptive despair”:

Under long-term high pressure, the human brain becomes “habituated” to pain. Gao Guanghui returns home at the earliest at 21:38 and at the latest at 23:58 during the week, even at midnight in November – this has become the norm. In psychology, this is called “learned helplessness”: the body’s signal escalates from “fatigue” to “fainting”, but the brain is numb and thinks “it was like this before, it’s okay.” Coupled with the “sense of responsibility”, as a manager, he felt that he “cannot abandon the team”; as a husband, he was afraid that the suspension of work would affect the family income. The most heart-wrenching scene in the article: being added to a group during the rescue and receiving messages after death, which exposes the nature of a “tool man” in the workplace – you are not a human, but a machine, and downtime is equivalent to scrapping.

The “invisible whip” of social networks:

The workplace is not an island. Gao Guanghui’s wife mentioned that “we had a quarrel, but he refused to resign.” This reflects the pressure on boys from their families and friends: if they stop, they will be labeled as “worthless” and “irresponsible”. In a specific Chinese culture, boys are required to “stand firm” and grit their teeth when they know death is imminent – because stopping means admitting failure, which is more embarrassing than losing life.

In short, the National People’s Congress most likely knows that it is about to die (the signal is obvious), but cannot stop, because this is not a personal choice, but multiple strangulations of culture, economy, psychology, and society. The article uses Gao Guanghui’s death as a warning: The workplace is not a battlefield, but a slaughterhouse. You voluntarily sacrifice in the “volume”.

2. Life-saving advice for boys in specific professions in China – be sharp and direct, don’t wait for the coffin board to wake you up

For high-strength boys such as programmers, product dogs, and migrant workers in investment banks, these suggestions are not chicken soup, but knives based on medicine (cardiovascular warning) and reality (workplace survival) – if you don’t listen, you will be like Gao Guanghui, leaving your wife and children to cry on your grave. Remember: if your life is gone, everything is in vain.

Pay close attention to body signals and don’t fucking fool yourself:

Don’t wait until you faint to wake up. Self-examination every day: chest tightness, palpitations, amaurosis, toothache/shoulder pain—these are the heart’s roars of “I’m going on strike.” It is mandatory to do cardiac color ultrasound and dynamic electrocardiogram every year (don’t save hundreds of dollars), especially after the age of 30. As soon as the signal comes out, stop work immediately, lie down, and dial 120. Don’t follow Gao Guanghui’s example of “bringing your computer to the hospital” – that’s stupid behavior. Workplace reality: When taking sick leave, recording backup evidence can be used when filing for work-related injury. Remember, the overwork injury recognition rate is low (it needs to be proven that overtime work directly caused the death), so don’t expect the company’s conscience to find out.

Smash the “shackles of struggle” and learn to “smash them strategically”:

Don’t believe the nonsense about “the King of Juan comes first”. Set an iron rule: no work after 10 p.m., and at least one day of “digital fasting” on weekends (turn off the computer and stay online). As a manager? Pass the blame to your superiors for saying “the team is overloaded and needs to be recruited”, leaving no one else to shoulder the blame. When changing jobs, don’t go to a “wolf factory” and choose a company with a labor union and a flexible system. Financial pressure? Be cruel: sell your house and go back to the second tier, your life is more expensive than your house. Psychologically, seeing a counselor to resolve “learned helplessness”—admitting that “I am not a superman” is the first step to saving one’s life.

“Break your wrist to survive” in extreme situations:

If you feel that you are about to die, take a long vacation or resign immediately. If that doesn’t work, sell your house and lie down for half a year/a year to save your life first: This is the most ruthless life-saving trick, but in reality, few people can do it. Why? Because you are used to it, stopping is equivalent to “social death” – losing your job, losing face, and losing your income. But listen up: If the signs are critical (multiple faints, heartache), don’t hesitate to take an extended sick leave (endorsed by a doctor’s note) or quit your job. Can’t take a vacation? At the extreme end, sell the house to cash out, and then rest for half a year or a year – go back to your hometown to recuperate, find a low-pressure part-time job, or simply recover like a “nomad”. Why is it so hard to do? Because boys are brainwashed into “responsibility machines”, selling a house is equivalent to admitting failure, and lying down is equivalent to “waste”. But think about Gao Guanghui: He didn’t sell the house, and he died as a result. Who would leave the house to? Save your life first, let’s talk about the rest later. When executing, save an “escape fund” (at least 6 months of living expenses) in advance, and don’t let the economy get stuck. Cruel words: If you are still hesitating, then you are waiting for death – your life is yours, don’t let “struggle” trick you into the coffin.

Family responsibility is not to “provide for the family”, but to “live with the family”:

Gao Guanghui’s wife was pregnant, but he died while working on the weekend – this is not responsible, but a crime. Boys, don’t use “working overtime = loving your family” as an excuse. Sharp point: When looking for a wife, don’t choose “post-partum housewife” or “full-time housewife”. That “princess disease” will make you more troubled – she is watching dramas at home, you die suddenly outside, and the family collapses in an instant. Priority is given to girls with stable jobs and “comrade-in-arms” partners who can share financial and childcare responsibilities. Why? Because when a Chinese boy dies suddenly, the widow often faces the hell of “unemployment + children + debt” (Gao Guanghui’s wife has to raise the child alone). Choose a wife who can “share hardships”: she has income, so you dare to stop working; she understands the workplace, but you dare to show weakness. Talk clearly before marriage: The bottom line of the family is “health first”, not “money first”. In this way, a chain of tragedies is avoided – you die, she becomes poor, and the children suffer.

Build a “firewall” and don’t let the workplace swallow everything up:

Forcing “side jobs” or hobbies (such as fitness, reading) to distract from the addiction of “work is value”. Gao Guanghui’s relics include the book “Congratulations on becoming a supervisor” – ironic, right? Boys, set up a “mutual aid group”: brothers in the workplace supervise each other to “stop being involved and go to the hospital.” Legally, learn to protect your rights: record overtime hours and report if they exceed the standard (labor law limits 44 hours per week). Finally, cruel words: If you know that the signal still stops, congratulations, you are committing suicide – don’t blame society, blame you for not having the guts to say “no”.

Gao Guanghui’s death is a wake-up call for everyone: in China’s high-intensity workplace, boys are not working, but gambling with their lives. The reason why you can’t stop even when you know you are about to die is because you have been brainwashed into being “tools”, but the key to awakening lies in your own hands. Implementing these suggestions is not a sign of weakness, but wisdom – only when you are alive can you be qualified to talk about value and family. Don’t wait until after you die to hear “urgent tasks” on WeChat. From today on, stop and live.