I think some of those assumptions are questionable and that thought process suffers from black and white thinking. I dont want to torture the analogy any more,

I think some of those assumptions are questionable and that thought process suffers from black and white thinking. I dont want to torture the analogy any more, so I will just be candid. First, I agree bad interviews are bad. That said, bad or un-necessarily difficult hiring processes dont automatically mean there is a better company out there. IF there is, it isn't a given that the better company will hire you. Similarly, it is not even a given the employees jump through hoops and get in are inferior to those that do. This is a numbers game, and can go many different ways. On one hand, I appreciate the uncompromising nature of refusing to play the game, but on the other, I dont think that everyone is doing it with open eyes to the costs they are paying. I have seen a few people progress from: 1) being uncompromising to 2) worse outcomes than if they compromised, to 3) bitterness and anger. Back to the analogy: If your life dream is to play chess but you refuse to play poker to get in the door, you may end up bitter and playing with mud in the street.