It's not about sinking, it is about a totally different skill set. There's no good/bad here, it just IS. Also, your statement implies you are "above" other people, which is so arrogant, it is almost like you are the people you despise.

I believe this is the way. That said, it might be a privilege to think this way. One can be nice to others and still play to a political advantage.

Integrity is not a "privilege".

Indeed integrity isn't. You're misrepresentating my comment. Perhaps privilege is too much of a trigger word these days.

Depending on ones economic situation, not playing the political game could mean being on the street, losing your kids, etc. In that sense, it can be a privilege offered to those with the financial freedom. This doesn't mean in any way that you can't do it with integrity.

You can learn the politics and choose not to play it. It’s still useful to understand why people act the way they do and never be surprised by things that affect you.

Admirable, but be aware that you are choosing to play 'co-operate' in a multi-agent prisoner's dilemma: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma

The PD is the boiled down essence of politics: Give good will unless there is evidence of prior back-stabbing, in which case be the first to stab.

In the past, I failed as a manager to protect the good-hearted and passionate people in my teams. The upper management were abusing them at every chance. And their competence and dedication only made them less likely to be promoted because it would take multiple people to do their job. The typical lifecycle is the CEO/CTO/Mids burn the good ones to the point they quit (and then they might offer doubling their salaries or something). This happens both in startups and large orgs. It seems like an unwritten rule in tech management.

I'm no longer a tech manager.

Same here!