Of course it is. That's why I'm pointing out that everyone learns the lesson eventually. If it were obvious from the outset it wouldn't require learning. If it

Of course it is. That's why I'm pointing out that everyone learns the lesson eventually. If it were obvious from the outset it wouldn't require learning. If it was easy to discover, it would be learned immediately. But as it stands, it's a difficult thing to learn because it's not in the employer's interest: they definitely do want people who are are better aligned with the goals of the company outside of "work for payment". They want people that are passionate about the job and the company, because ceteris paribus those people will do a better job. And a way of getting there is trying to be a company worth working for. To have a good culture, great goals, or great colleagues. But taking a more cynical view, that's just a different form of payment, in the sense that 60k/year at a great place to work is probably worth more to you than 70k/year at a not-so-great job. But as soon as a company enters some hardship and needs to cut cost, it needs to take a sober and realistic look at its expenses. And personal costs tend to be a huge expense.