Have you actually experienced working with co-workers who exhibit all the symptoms of sociopaths/narcissists? They will take your trust and good intentions and do whatever they can to take advantage of it. Most people are worthy of trust. But the 3% that aren’t are toxic/dangerous in ways you will only realise after the damage is done. So assume the best but don’t be naive.
While this is true, you do yourself no favors by remaining there and "surviving" the dysfunctional work environment. As the old canard goes, your best option is to either "change your job, or change your job."
And I think beyond that, the answer is to try to work hard to change your life circumstances (where you live, how much effort you put into your network, what skills you develop, how often you switch jobs) so that if you do want to make lateral moves within roughly the same role, it's straightforward. This heavily de-risks the possibility of getting stuck with people who aren't great. It might be common, but it's /not/ every team, it's /not/ every company. The labor market is still very favorable for technologists. Using the market momentum to find your way into a healthy team environment at a company with a healthy culture is highly advised!
Yep I completely agree. My point wasn’t that you shouldn’t get away from the situation. My point was that believing you can change/improve all people is naive and potentially dangerous.
