I'd say I'm less productive than at the beginning of my career because I'm no longer naive about nature of working life. Loving your job, work ethic, recognition, career progression, etc.. it's all a big joke. It seems ludicrous to give 110% for 40 hours a week because of some ridiculous, intangible ROI based in emotion or obligation to Business Daddy, because he _did me a favour_ in hiring me. If I apply myself at work at all beyond the minimum required, it's because it benefits me and only me directly. In fact my progression to this cynicism is thanks to the realisation that this is how the corporate world actually works. It's self-interest all the way down. Those not on the employee's side will try hard to muddy the waters, but it's plain to see: you are selling your labour and they're buying it, as cheap as they can, and only if they have to. Why would I hand over more in that transaction than I need to? The other party won't.
Do you think your change in perspective is entirely from experience? Or do you think that the nature of working life has shifted during your career?
(I have struggled to temper my idealism with the increased cynicism that life/work experience has given me. In some of my positions, I have had sufficient authority and trust to create pockets of sincere idealism, but eventually friction with the system was my undoing. (Sorry, I'm having trouble articulating clearly.) This seems to have worsened over the years and I'm wondering if this perception is entirely from my sluggishness in shedding my naivete or if there is also a component that's the reality shifting.)
I can only say it's from experience, and though I know folk at the end of their careers who will say things like "it's different now; you're only a number these days" which might suggest there's been a shift, in all honesty I can't suggest it, because I feel that for me it is more of a red pill scenario, and not that I have observed a shift in my ~10y career.
Your thoughts about tempering idealism, running up against 'the system', etc feel familiar to me and I could even relate it to a painful scenario I found myself in 2 jobs ago. I don't think the origin of that idealism is coincidental, and if it were, it is still certainly exploited. It's not difficult to see how cynicism might result from the realisation that your idealism is at best convenient for your employer; that doing The Right Thing TM is only tenable when it aligns with the goals of the employer. At worst, it's just handwaved away with "this is what the business needs". And how can you argue with that? (Nearly all) businesses exist to profit and arguing for intangible Right Things TM against cold hard dollars is tough, sometimes hopeless.
Regarding your mention of how things have worsened over the years: I speculate that the pandemic itself, the resulting WFH, the looming recession and current layoffs, and (for some folk) the CoL situation have created conditions where the corporate world is struggling to maintain the facade that working life is great and a good job is the path to happiness. There are definitely folk out there working hard to attribute blame and "worker productivity" gives us a clue who.
Semi related edit: I have been reading [1] and though I find the switching between labour movement history and anecdotes from today's workers kind of painful, there's been some interesting bits. Possibly worth checking out the reviews and reading only the first half as many have said is the better part.
Thank you for your detailed response, and for the book suggestion.
(For me personally, part of my challenge is that I want the ideal. I'd like to be loyal and committed to my employer (and I've tried to select employers that make this more possible, such as smaller and privately held companies at which I hopefully report to the CEO) and to have that not be foolish.
I have trouble truly accepting the reality of human nature, including within myself. From the perspective of "traditional" measures of success, I'm certain that I've hamstrung myself. But I'm unsure I could have done differently; my awareness of my naivete seems insufficient for changing my behavior much. It's as if I cannot endure reality and have to pretend I live in an alternative universe. (Not because I'm so admirably committed to such high ideals, but because I am too weak and afraid to endure the guilt and shame of intentionally failing to meet the standards to which I strive.)
