Not loud. Silent. That’s what makes it dangerous.

No one openly flexes. No one shouts rankings. Everyone smiles. Everyone is “supportive”. But everyone knows everyone’s SIP shortlist, CG, club position, PPO status, social circle.

The competition is not external. It’s internalised. You start benchmarking yourself constantly without realising it. Who got which role. Who got which company. Who is more visible. Who is more “sorted”.

It’s not rat race in the traditional sense. It’s comparison pressure that slowly creeps in. And the tricky part is, it doesn’t come from others. It comes from your own head. The environment just gives you infinite data points to compare against.

The ones who thrive are not the smartest. They’re the ones who learn to detach self-worth from short-term outcomes. Everyone else keeps winning small battles and losing mental peace quietly.