In Chinese social media, the term "slaughter line" is not a strictly defined professional term but rather an emotional internet slang.

People who frequently use "slaughter line" are usually not those who see the world from a high vantage point, but those who look down on others from an emotional high ground.

Using "slaughter line" to describe society essentially means using others' extreme failures as an excuse to slack off in one's own understanding.

People who describe the world as a slaughter line are often neither standing at a high place nor daring to look down, relying instead on creating fear to appear awake.

The mindset and motivation of those who use this term: creating a sense of superiority through fear, looking down on others from a "survivor perspective."

Such people often: do not truly understand the rules

Just rationalize failure in advance for others

One sentence summary: weak cognition + strong desire to express

The characteristics of superficial "insightful" people: have learned a bit of sociology, investment, game theory superficiality

Use extreme vocabulary to appear "perceptive, cruel, realistic"

Essentially: treat probability issues as certainty

Treat trend issues as fate decisions

Truly knowledgeable people rarely use this term; those who do are often uneducated and not very intelligent.

The reason is simple: there are almost no absolute slaughter lines in the real world, only probability changes, no one-size-fits-all.

Experts discuss structure, not life-and-death lines
Discuss costs, pathways, game space
Not "you're done for"

The slaughter line is a lazy expression; it replaces complex analysis with emotional conclusions.

The term "slaughter line" itself is more like a cognitive projection than a true understanding of American society.

Taking "extreme samples" as "systemic conclusions," seeing homeless people on American streets → inferring that American society is prone to falling to the slaughter line → concluding that American institutions are failing

This is a typical sample bias + emotional amplification.

Psychologically: this is about comforting oneself, not sympathizing with others.

Many Chinese people "sympathize with Americans," but this sympathy carries an implicit message:

Luckily, I am in China
Luckily, things are not that bad here
The true object of this sympathy is often oneself.

It satisfies three psychological needs:

Finding a worse reference point for one's dissatisfaction

Outsourcing uncertainty to others' systems

Reinforcing the idea that although our side is oppressed, at least we won't be homeless

So you will find a very contradictory phenomenon:

Sympathizing with American homeless people

But being extremely indifferent to the bottom-tier people around you

Ignoring the structural dilemmas of your own country

This is not empathy, but a sense of security.