At my previous place of work, where I felt I was bullied by my boss, I learned something critical. Something I feel that all people should learn, especially those who are particularly interested in going somewhere in their careers and are lower on the totem pole than their intelligence would merit.

Sometimes, Don’t try so hard. If you think your boss maybe feels threatened by you, perhaps because they try to pick your work apart to make you look less capable, you might think about acting dumb.

I know, for those of us in those situations in the first place we really want to do a good job. We want to be effective, we want to get ahead, and we want to be successful. Let’s face it, you’re not going to do that under this boss. The moment you notice that you and your boss may not be on the same page, or the moment you feel your boss may not have your best interests at heart, GET OUT.

Your boss is going to pick your work apart, put on too many tasks, and in general make your life hell. The moment you think your boss isn’t thinking about what’s good for you, you need to understand you’ll be lucky to get out of that work situation with a good recommendation. It’s best to cut your losses and find a job where you’re appreciated for your drive and hard work.

The sooner you leave from a bad work situation, the sooner the next sucker can get in there. The sooner that person will leave because hey, your old boss sucks, and the sooner the higher-ups will realize they have a problem they can’t ignore anymore.

So don’t worry about your boss telling everyone else about how horrid you are. They are going to continue doing that until you leave, so the sooner you leave the better.

Don’t worry about how acting dumb and not working as hard might get ingrained into your work ethic. It’s not. The moment you find a place where you’re appreciated you’ll reboot into that excited, driven individual that you are.

Also, have faith in yourself and who you are. If you don’t, your boss from hell wins.