Rat Race is a term used to describe a frustrating, hard-to-break financial lifestyle. It is a lifestyle that is lived by countless people, oblivious to the very nature of it, to a degree that even when called upon, vehemently deny it.

To summarize the Rat Race, It involves subjecting one's self to a time-consuming job, saddling one's self with heavy mortgages/rents, bills, children, and liabilities, forcing the individual to continue busting his or her ass at that same job. The illusion that working at the same job will be better bars off alternatives.

It is also a misconception that getting more money will solve financial distress, but those who subject themselves most voluntarily to the race, just spend more and more, digging themselves the same hole. "I'm not interested in money." They will say. If they aren't, then why are they thanklessly toiling their lives away and constantly bitching about their financial scarcity?

It involves a variable combonation of self-induced fear of poorness, a lack of choice, horrible spending habits, or the inability to adapt to the new changes in the work force taking place during the time of this definition entry.

There exists many options for financial gain and exit of the rat race. Remember, the definition of insanity also entails doing the same thing over and over again, in an attempt to make things change.

I couldn’t care less (but one must keep up appearances, right?)

the office crowd, running like rats in the subway and the streets between 7.30-8.30 to get at their desks on time.

an employment situation marked by tedious work and high stress

The scramble involved in a city job.

The funniest movie ever, including many people attempting to get two million dollars from Silver City, all for the entertainment for a few rich assholes. I recommend it to anyone.

When someone has a life without responsabilities, job, and thougths about future, he looks at the rest who are working a lot, and have kids, and try to make a living... and say "Dude, I will never enter into that rat race".