內捲化效應（Involution）是一個社會現象，指的是在競爭激烈的環境中，個體為了在競爭中生存和取得優勢，不斷地加強自身的努力和投入，但最終卻陷入一種無盡的重複和無意義的競爭循環中。這種現象在當代社會中越來越普遍，尤其是在教育、工作和研究領域中。
起源：
「內捲化」這個詞最早是康德提出的，他將其與「演化」這個詞對舉，用來描述一種向內的演化現象。後來，人類學家和社會學家將這個詞應用到人類學和社會學的研究中。一位在美國的華人社會學家在一本研究中國農村的學術著作中使用了「內捲」這個詞，逐漸在國內的學術界和輿論中流行起來。
例子：
以下是一些例子，可以幫助我們理解內捲化效應：
毫無意義的精益求精：有些公司在開會時，對桌面上的茶杯擺放非常講究，追求完美的整齊和精確。然而，這樣的細節追求並不能為會議帶來實質的意義和價值。
將簡單的問題複雜化：有些領導為了顯示存在感，將本來簡單的決策過程搞得非常複雜。例如，為了做出一個決定，需要先出調研報告，然後邀請專家討論評審，再逐級上報，最後由領導做出決定。這樣的過程增加了時間和資源的浪費，卻沒有帶來實質的改善。
低水平的重覆：在某些領域，當一家公司或地區出現一個新的技術或創新時，很快就會有一大批模仿者出現。這些模仿者之間的競爭變得非常激烈，他們花費大量的時間和資源在相互之間的競爭上，而忽略了真正的創新和內容的發展。
封閉體系內的內部競爭：在一些教育體系中，學生為了追求更高的分數，被迫在教學大綱內不斷努力，比誰做的題目多、難度更高。然而，這樣的競爭並不能真正提升學生的學習內容和能力，反而可能扼殺了他們的創造力。
這些例子展示了內捲化效內捲化效應（Involution）是一個社會現象，指的是在競爭激烈的環境中，個體或群體為了追求更高的競爭力，不斷加大努力和投入，但最終卻陷入一種無盡的重複和無意義的競爭循環中。
The phenomenon of Involution refers to a social phenomenon where, in a highly competitive environment, individuals or groups continually intensify their efforts and investment in order to gain a competitive edge, but ultimately end up trapped in an endless cycle of repetitive and meaningless competition.
The term "involution" was originally proposed by Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the concept of "evolution" to describe an inward process of development. Later, anthropologists and sociologists applied this term to the study of human societies. A Chinese-American sociologist's research on China's rural areas popularized the use of the term "involution" in the domestic academic discourse and public discourse in China.
Examples of involutionary effects include:
1 Meaningless pursuit of perfection: Some companies are extremely meticulous about the placement of cups on the meeting table, seeking perfect order and precision, but this detailed pursuit does not bring real meaning and value to the meeting.
2 Complicating simple problems: Some leaders, in order to assert their presence, make the decision-making process unnecessarily complex. For example, a simple decision may require research reports, expert discussions and reviews, and finally approval from the leadership, resulting in a waste of time and resources without substantial improvement.
3 Low-level repetition: In certain fields, when a company or region introduces a new technology or innovation, a large number of imitators quickly emerge. The competition between these imitators becomes extremely intense, as they spend a lot of time and resources competing with each other, neglecting the real development of innovation and content.
4 Internal competition within a closed system: In some educational systems, students are forced to work tirelessly within the curriculum in order to pursue higher scores, competing with each other on who can do more questions or solve more difficult problems. However, this competition does not truly enhance the students' learning content and abilities, and may even stifle their creativity.
These examples illustrate how the phenomenon of Involution manifests as a social phenomenon where individuals or groups, in a highly competitive environment, continuously intensify their efforts and investment, but ultimately become trapped in an endless cycle of repetitive and meaningless competition.