I hate to break it to you but most jobs lead to the kinds of experiences you describe. Those experiences can feel more or less soul-crushing depending on your e

I hate to break it to you but most jobs lead to the kinds of experiences you describe. Those experiences can feel more or less soul-crushing depending on your expectations and how you react to them. I get the impression that you expect personal fulfillment, respect, influence from your work, and when you don't get that you feel frustrated. So, yes, this is what work-life is like for everyone else. If you think programming for a living is bad imagine working at a restaurant or retailer with the same bullshit but a fraction of the pay. I suggest you disconnect your ego from your job and enjoy the relatively cushy work and pay. Find fulfillment somewhere else. I burned out twice earlier in my career (40+ years and still going at this point), then I had children, something more important to me than any job or jerk boss or boring project. You should also consider what all of your job frustrations have in common: you. No one can control what other people do, or how organizations roll along with dysfunction and lack of real purpose. But we can all control how we internalize and react.