In the system, you basically secure a respectable pension, solid benefits, and salary increases that keep pace with society.
Outside the system, if you haven't built up savings by your thirties, your prospects plummet fast—no benefits, no pension, and the rest of your life is a struggle.
Outside the system, you need to make money quickly, accumulating enough to stop working as early as possible.
Inside the system, it's all about endurance—grinding until retirement.