a cog in a/the machine idiom disapproving
（大机构中的）小职员；不可或缺但无足轻重的人，小人物
a member of a large organization whose job, although necessary, makes them feel as if they are not important
I decided to set up my own business because I was tired of just being a cog in a machine. 我决定创立自己的公司，因为我厌倦了在大公司中做个微不足道的小人物。