I’ve had many experiences in which I started out very positive, excited, pleased with the situation, but then ended up disillusioned with the organization/career/etc. I didn’t end up bitter, but I did start thinking that if you stick around long enough and know the people/organization/movement well enough, it’s almost inevitable that you end up disillusioned.
It seems that after a while you just know too much of the underbelly, the dark side. You know more than the niceties on the surface, you know all the intricacies of the infighting and chicanery behind the scenes.
This has happened with an organization I very much enjoyed volunteering with for years, and with a career that I was very gung ho for in my younger days. And in other situations in smaller ways.
Have I just become a jaded curmudgeon or is this an inevitable outcome after a while?
There are a number of things that I’ve never become disillusioned with. Examples would include the school where I currently teach–I’m in my fifth year–my local Episcopal church, and all of the volunteer organizations that I’ve worked for. Things that I have become disillusioned with include the academic world and Vanderbilt University, as well as the Democratic Party. (But I still vote for them, because the Republicans such that much.)
I’d say that generally large and powerful institutions where a lot of money gets shuffled around are guaranteed to have an unpleasant dark side, much as you described. Small organizations where ordinary people can actually make decisions for the best, without having to worry about bureaucracy and where there’s no profit motive, are the ones that don’t.
Hi Dingbang are you me in a parallel universe?
I’ve been getting downright curmudgeonly myself lately. Every job I’ve had has given me a good dose of disillusionment, and makes me doubt my entire career trajectory. I keep hoping that its just a bad attitude phase I am going through, but truly once you get inside an organization, you can see all the flaws.
I think the thing to keep in mind is that all organizations are made up of people. People of course suck about 99-100% of the time. Ergo, we’re all screwed.
Did I help? Hmph, didn’t think so.
Help? No, not really. But yeah, damn, a lot of people suck if you really get to know them enough.
Here’s to superficial relationships!
Only if you’re illusioned in the first place.
Right. Going into a new situation with modest expectations tends to reduce the frequency and severity of disappointment.
Pessimists are never disappointed.
The OP pretty much sums up my attitude toward life in general.
Pessimists never take that chance either.
Life is what happens while you are making other plans.
Oh God no; look at the religious.