I've been going at my job for over 6 years now and I have turned down promotions because they would make me worse off in several respects. Most workers are "rank and file", by definition; we can't all be managers.

No one would work then. (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

Ever heard about the Dunning-Kruger effect?

My motto: if you do what you did, you get what you got.

It mostly serves to remind me (and my public, voluntarily or otherwise) that if you are unhappy with something and want it to change for the better, you'll have to change parameters (i.e. your approach) or you will just get the same result.