The Corporate Immortality Syndrome
“You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories.”
- Stanislaw Jerzy Lec
There’s a fascinating phenomenon in corporations - I call it the “corporate immortality syndrome.”
The Illusion of Permanence
When you work inside a company long enough, you start believing it’s eternal. That “this is how it’s always been and always will be.” That your career path is guaranteed and predictable, that the paycheck hitting your account is like the sunset: the weather may change, but it will always happen.
That’s exactly why layoffs, restructurings, or strategic pivots feel like a personal tragedy. “How could they? We’re a family! How can you fire me after 10 years of loyalty?”
The Truth is Simple
A corporation isn’t an eternal temple - it’s a machine. Today it has one objective, tomorrow a different one. Today it needs 300 people in IT, tomorrow 150 will do. Today we’re building a marketplace, tomorrow we’re cutting it loose and selling it off.
The illusion of immortality is insidious: it lulls you, strips away your vigilance, and leaves you without a Plan B. That’s precisely why people end up in shock when they’re suddenly thrown out on the street.
What to Do About It
- Keep in mind that the company owes you nothing (and vice versa)
- Maintain personal resilience - a financial cushion, a network, a reputation, marketable skills
- Once a year, ask yourself: “If this company disappeared tomorrow, what would I do?”
Corporate immortality exists only in employees’ heads. Companies don’t have eternal life - but you do. The sooner you internalize that, the calmer you’ll face any change.
