Involution
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
Refers to a stage in the development of a society or organization where it can no longer expand outward or upgrade, and can only engage in increasingly complex but diminishing-return competition internally. Proposed by American anthropologist Alexander Goldenweiser, in the Chinese context it specifically refers to meaningless internal friction caused by excessive competition.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Identification of system development bottlenecks. Helps identify whether individuals, organizations, or societies have fallen into the trap of "hardworking but not wealthy." It is reflected in education ("chicken baby" parenting), workplace (996), business (price wars), and international relations (arms races).
Anchor fast decisions
When a system cannot expand outward (market/resource/class ceiling), marginal returns diminish, and participants can only compete for fixed stock by increasing internal input (working harder, more complex), overall efficiency does not increase but is consumed. The mechanism is "zero-sum internal refined competition."
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/4Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Involutionverified
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