Ego-Tucking: a novel psychological mechanism of strategic retrenchment and resilience among Chinese youth

Against the backdrop of intensifying socio-structural pressures and the pervasive “Fo-xi” (Buddha-like) subculture in contemporary China, this study conceptualizes a novel psychological mechanism termed “Ego-Tucking.” Operationalized as a strategic and adaptive defense mechanism, Ego-Tucking denotes an intentional modulation of the self where individuals “tuck away” excessive emotional investment in macro-social competition to preserve psychological equilibrium. Utilizing a multi-dimensional empirical approach with a cohort of university students ( N = 678), the research identifies a phenomenon of “Functional Bifurcation”: while individuals tactically retreat from high-stakes social hierarchies characterized by “Evaluative Singularity,” they simultaneously maintain high agentic vitality within individualized micro-domains. Path analysis reveals that Internal Psychological Retrenchment (IPR) blue serves as a pivotal mediating bridge, linking external stressors with a state of “Tactical Readiness.” Furthermore, the study highlights how the “Socio-familial Cushion”—rooted in traditional Chinese parental support—provides the material prerequisite for this strategic withdrawal. Ultimately, the findings suggest that Ego-Tucking appears conceptually distinct from learned helplessness or systemic collapse, functioning instead as a form of “Psychological Hibernation” that ensures existential security and psychological resilience in an era of diminishing marginal returns on effort.