I'm sorry you've had all these bad experiences. I've had the opposite. Every time I made a decision that followed my interests and long term potential, as opposed to my immediate term paycheck, I've come out on top. In my experience, excellent people who latch on to the idea that they are being exploited, end up becoming bitter and ultimately having a less satisfying career. Transactional relationships, in which neither party adds an ounce of extra value unless they receive immediate benefit, are less than the sum of their parts. Whereas relationships where everyone contributes more than their fair share of value, tend to make everyone richer, at least per my humble observational powers.