Because we don’t want to be left behind as members of the permanent underclass. Unless you own the god machine or work on improving it you don’t matter.
Yeah yeah we're all above such gauche matters, it's only the entire reason SWEs have high paying jobs, paper wealth, and all the comforts that come with both, including the freedom to earn enough to walk away and act like you're above it all.
(I obviously don't know your circumstances but am commenting about a general phenomenon I see parroted by many professionally successful SWEs who seem to take glee in being ignorant of economics/finance while enjoying the spoils.)
My single minded focus is getting my finances in order so I don't need to work in this industry (financial independence) past 50. It's just getting worse and worse in terms of the open contempt for employees from the top down with no end in sight. Once you reach 50 it's just luck of the draw whether or not you are in the annual culling of the senior folks.
There's no excuse anymore for being ignorant of how this industry works, the mask has been off for years.
Let me guess is your argument: "He built a trillion dollar company and you didn't"