Part 2/9:
Growing up, I was conditioned to believe that hard work was a straightforward pathway to success. I dedicated endless hours, often checking emails over the weekend, arriving early, and leaving late, all in pursuit of a promotion. Yet, the ultimate absurdity hit when a colleague—a family friend of our boss and arguably far less competent—was promoted instead of me.
This moment served as a rude awakening. A review of historical workplace productivity and wage data revealed a troubling trend: since 1979, despite increases in productivity, worker pay has stagnated. Workers like myself now feel cheated, as hard work is no longer reliably rewarded, turning aspirations for promotions into futile endeavors.