The reflection brought by 996: What is true struggle?

Update：3/7/2025 9:28:54 PM

Recently, some Internet tycoons have shown their views one after another. For example, Jack Ma has repeatedly talked about the "996 work system". He believes that "being able to work 996 is a great blessing" because "if you don't put in more effort and time than others, how can you achieve the success you want

Liu Qiangdong said that there is no problem for me to achieve 8116+8 (8116+8 refers to 6 days from Monday to Saturday, working from 8am to 11pm plus 8 hours on Sunday), and he also said that people who slack off are not brothers!

In addition to the Internet practitioners, the normal work of many groups is the same. Some netizens describe the state of media practitioners as follows: 'If the Earth does not explode, we will not take a break; if the universe does not restart, we will not rest.'. Medical workers are also overloaded, often working night shifts and may even have outpatient services during the day. For many researchers, 996 is considered a "low-end" job, while 711 (working 7 days a week from 11 am to 11 pm) is the norm.

Some people support "996", while others are dissatisfied with and roast about "996". In Sixiangge's opinion, we advocate struggle and need struggle, which is beyond doubt. Because, from individuals who dream of changing their destiny, to enterprises carrying heavy burdens under the pressure of economic downturn, to our nation that is striving for rejuvenation, achieving a better life requires a spirit of struggle and arduous labor.

But nowadays, people have a higher demand for a "better life". It is no longer about working hard to earn money during the period of subsistence, but about finding more value outside of work, discovering interests, accompanying family, and improving oneself. From this perspective, the 996 style struggle deprives us of the right to enjoy a better life.

The opposing viewpoints all focus on one word: struggle.

A work rhythm similar to "996" is very common at the grassroots level, and the "996" of grassroots cadres is also called "five+two" or "white+black".

Recognize three misconceptions and eliminate the false struggle

What kind of struggle do we really need? What kind of struggle can create a better life? To clarify these issues, we must first clarify three misconceptions.

Self comfort is not about striving. Some people are addicted to the spiritual chicken soup, celebrity advice, and inspirational articles on various online platforms in order to enrich their spiritual world, but they lack self reflection and find it difficult to improve. They always gain everyone's likes and recognition through their surface diligence, declaring that they have been working hard and striving. They like to talk big in their work, life, and studies, being light hearted and afraid of the heavy, "brushing their presence" everywhere, using some "surface skills" and "outstanding work" to create a false impression. Although they seem positive, they are actually just self comforting and vulnerable.

Sometimes it's not about striving. Currently, there are some people who lack planning and only talk about their ideals without taking action. The thunder is loud, but the rain is small, which leads to a disconnect between goals and practice, and blindly avoids difficulties. Even imitating cases in movies, TV dramas, and social media, blindly following the trend and following others' opinions. Some people fail to recognize the arduous and long-term nature of struggle, exhibiting negative emotions such as impatience, anxiety, and negativity. They attempt to achieve quick results through shortcuts, building relationships, and other means, ignoring the basic moral bottom lines of integrity, justice, and dedication. Their goal is to earn hot money and quick money, and they lose the foundation for the development of knowledge and skills. They all lack perseverance and believe that striving is just an occasional act, ignoring the importance of long-term effort and building tall buildings on flat ground.

Unrestrained labor is not a struggle. You should know that hard work is struggle, and skillful work is also struggle; Extending working hours is a struggle, and improving efficiency is also a struggle. Those who support '996' may have a valuable spirit of extreme struggle, but instilling a 996 overtime culture in ordinary workers reflects the arrogance, impracticality, and unfairness of enterprise managers. Struggle must be voluntary, supported by a sense of responsibility towards the cause and confidence in the future. Struggle must also be legal, reasonable, and justifiable. If these are separated, the spirit of struggle becomes like water without a source and a tree without roots.

The correct way to open up the 996 topic is not whether or not to strive and work hard, but how to better strive and work hard.

From a personal perspective, in order to achieve dreams and happiness, one must truly strive from the bottom of their heart. To truly strive, one must use ideals and beliefs as strong support, and beware of using ideals and beliefs as a tool for "speaking up, singing," and "putting on a facade.

True struggle means starting and ending well, doing well and achieving good results. Impatience, fickleness, abandoning one profession after another, whether for learning or entrepreneurship, is the most taboo. The key is to take steady steps, solidify the foundation, and work hard for a long time.

From the perspective of enterprises, on the one hand, it is necessary to implement a benefit protection system that can make workers willing to share weal and woe with the enterprise, rather than exploiting employees and overdrawing the future by killing the chicken to take the egg.

On the other hand, it is also necessary to recognize that the "good life" of people today has a broader connotation. Our company not only relies on the sweat of our employees, but also needs to inspire their creativity; Not only should employees work harder, but they should also be motivated to work more efficiently; Not only does it rely on the incentive of overtime pay, but it also requires the company of family, physical health, and fulfillment of meaning to become rewards for work.

Some people call China's economic miracle the "hard work revolution". It is the hard work and struggle of the Chinese people that make the impossible possible and promote China to complete the industrialization process of developed countries in decades. Struggle and hard work will still be the theme words of our rapidly advancing society.

The discussion on 996 inspires us that the vitality of China in the future will come from working happily, allowing all sources of innovation and creation to fully flow.