Ironically, as I've become more senior (11+ years at a faang company) I've had to do less and less of that "look around and understand everything" work because of time pressure. But I rely on my experience to be more confident that I can ignore the details and focus on the reason I'm in this file.
Well, that, and if it gets too messy I give up and call in a junior engineer...
It's all bullshit, and you've hit the nail on the head.
The only way out is through each other: change your workplace to be less bullshit. Demand dignity. Maybe bring your friends and make a co-op.