Not really a cultural thing, as every culture has some form of this (see for instance the conversation here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12535415 https:

Not really a cultural thing, as every culture has some form of this (see for instance the conversation here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12535415 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12535415). I'd say probably more of a personality thing. A lot of analytical types tend to find comfort in rules, and feel a great sense of injustice when people break them in order to have unequal footing. I'm with you on this - if someone pulled this stunt on me, I'd thank them for the donuts and then tell them to put their resume on the pile like everyone else. That being said, it's sadly not how the real world works.