“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat!”–Lily Tomlin
Per Albert Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus, it would appear that the best strategy for combating the stated dilemma is to simply keep running the race or navigating the maze, lest one stops and realizes how absurd it all is. I’ll keep at it, if only because I need the cheese.
The Millennium Conjectures™ 
I had to realize how absurd it all is before I could really join the race. It’s more fun this way
How have I never heard this quote before? It’s brilliant!