Most of us enter the workforce like wide-eyed toddlers clutching a sippy cup of optimism, ready to “make a difference.” Then, one day, we notice that Becky in accounting is suspiciously good at turning other people’s ideas into her own ideas. And Brad in marketing keeps getting promoted even though he hasn’t responded to an email since 2014.

You try to focus on the work, but you realize that “the work” is just the background noise of this whole operatic farce. And then, slowly, the horrible re...