I used to work in corporate America as a software engineer. Ton of people slept with each other for promotions, cheating was rampant, etc. My ex partner left me for someone they met at work. This happens quite frequently often.
I left this corporate job because I fucking hated it and since have been doing freelancing. It's going surprisingly well, it's remote, so I get to travel anywhere. I was able to hire one person to my team, I pay her a great wage, in 1 year of work we have had ONE meeting total lol. That's literally the only time I have talked to her face to face. Even the 'interview' wasn't really an interview, I just paid for her some small tasks and eventually kept paying her for more lol.
I had to come back to the States for some Visa issue which made me really depressed bc I was really feeling at home in Europe. I would walk around in nature and then for a few hours per day when I was free, do my remote consulting. I don't have to talk to humans which is great, I just do the work, send it over, and close my laptop.
USA work culture is fucking gross. The whole subservience and idolization of one's 'boss'. 'Don't say xyz to this guy, he's difficult, but he's a superstar engineer!' is so common place. And then yeah of course the affairs. I realized all work affairs I know of are by complete weirdos who place a big part of their identity in their job. Either it's bosses who think they are important and use that 'importance' to prey on interns, or it's interns who view work as this really important game where they should climb the ladder.
Choosing to opt in to work culture is actually a irreconcilable personality flaw. Like if you love work culture, I probably hate you. I realized that it's just incompatible to be a fun, laid back, calm person who enjoys their life in a happy manner, and being somebody who buys into work culture. Those two ideas are just totally divorced from each other.
Maybe I'm irreverent but I can honestly just see myself chilling in a cabin in some aesthetic European country for the rest of my life, maybe kids, idk. Tbh that idea sounds pretty appealing. Just do this consulting for some time (I actually set it up in a way where I enjoy it, and it doesn't feel like work), and then retire off savings. European countries often have lower cost of living too which is great.
TLDR fuck work culture.