I'm glad you've posted this comment because I strongly feel more people need to see sentiment, and push back against what many above want to become the new norm. I see capitulation and compliance in advance, and it makes me sad. I also see two very valid, antipodal responses to this phenomenon: Exit from the industry, and malicious compliance through accelerationism.

To the reader and the casual passerby, I ask: Do you have to work at this pace, in this manner? I understand completely that mandates and pressure from above may instill a primal fear to comply, but would you be willing to summon enough courage to talk to maybe one other person you think would be sympathetic to these feelings? If you have ever cared about quality outcomes, if for no other reason than the sake of personal fulfillment, would it not be worth it to firmly but politely refuse purely metrics-focused mandates?