Tit-for-tat social strategy doesn’t work in workplace

The tit-for-tat strategy of social interaction, a refined version of “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me,” which is a base-level way to cut down on “cheaters” within evolutionarily developed social altruism doesn’t work on the job.

Well, this makes sense. In modern socialized societies, the workplace is a particular construct without the full range of social operation options that society in general has.

If you tit-for-tat a shitty boss, especially in an at-will hiring and firing state like Texas, you know what happens.

If you “accentuate the positive,” though, the researchers say you feel better about yourself, do better on the job, etc.