Firstly, we had an exciting product to work on. Also, for selfish and foolish and stupid reasons? First of all, I was young. This was my first big gig. Most of all, it was fun. It was fun to keep winning against a determined enemy. At the time in the area I was in, we were considered to be one of the best software groups in our geographical locality. There wasn't really anywhere to go. The employer always ranked as one of the best in the county. Lacking humility, I thought it was simply my intelligence that brought the wins, not a mixture of my intelligence and mostly good luck. I can't imagine how many times I almost got fired but didn't for some reason.

To look on the bright side, my boss was amazing, a truly unique individual whom I thought so much of, I asked to be the godfather of my child.

Despite the chaos of the IT team, almost everyone I worked with was great. Everyone I met was really good at something, but I learned a lot from the people around me and had the opportunity to mentor a young engineer who ended up far exceeded me, which was rewarding in itself. I have several life-long friends from that company. People who have been with me through a messy divorce. A particular friend, when my wife left, called or texted every single day for six months-- just out of the goodness of her heart. The text was always the same, "Hey, wanna get some coffee? How are you doing today?" There are beautiful people working in even the most toxic places.

When I wasn't learning about engineering, I was learning about optics, about politics, and about the real world, and once again, I was winning, which was intoxicating.

So why ultimately did I stay? Because it was comfortable being the smartest person in the room. Because it was fun having latitude enough to start my own department? Because it was fun being engaged in this real-life game and winning? Because I'm crazy?

Things got far nastier than I went into. Once the IT department was openly trying to get me fired, things got personal. Really personal. It would have been easier to move on, but, I hate being bullied. Allow me to repeat myself, I HATE being bullied, and that's what this was in the end, organized harassment.

Through a set of unusual circumstances, I ended up befriending the main IT guys wife-- the man who decided he could play with my life for no reason at all, and his wife had a crush on me. So I and slept with her, and I am still sleeping with her four years later. To quote that great boss of mine, "Revenge is a dish best served every day."

Judging by the statement that he worked with some high-level EE/CS/ME people, I assume the actual job was pretty interesting or cutting edge.