Wanting to be competitive (aka getting paid well) is the root of the problem. The top jobs are ridiculous in every field. Because there is so much competition f

Wanting to be competitive (aka getting paid well) is the root of the problem. The top jobs are ridiculous in every field. Because there is so much competition for them, competitiveness becomes orthogonal to doing your job well. In most fields, there are also second-tier jobs. You get to enjoy a nice middle-class lifestyle with a good work-life balance in a stable long-term job. The incentives are there to do your job well, because you have to face the consequences of your choices. I know plenty of software engineers in jobs like that. When the company eventually goes bad, they have no trouble finding new similar jobs, because good experienced software engineers are scarce.