This is like a cornerstone of American culture, the belief that hard work will be rewarded is ingrained in us. I think it's a great attitude, but hard to keep up when you realize it's often not true
It actually is often rewarded quite well, just not to the one doing the work.
Bingo. Your hard work is ultimately buying your boss's boss's boss's boss a new vacation home or sailboat. You're supposed to feel grateful that you're making a nice middle class salary and can fully fund your 401(k) while they capture the rest of the value you're producing.