i think the argument that the economics of building a career in academia have gotten worse over time is a defensible one. the data concerning tenure line trends

i think the argument that the economics of building a career in academia have gotten worse over time is a defensible one. the data concerning tenure line trends ([0], [1]) don't necessarily tell the entire story, but it's rather compelling in and of itself. [0] http://www.aaup.org/sites/default/files/Faculty_Trends_0.pdf http://www.aaup.org/sites/default/files/Faculty_Trends_0.pdf [1] http://agb.org/trusteeship/2013/5/changing-academic-workforce http://agb.org/trusteeship/2013/5/changing-academic-workforc... as for throwing in the towel, i didn't mean that in a disparaging sense. just that, for some, leaving academia is a decision made with a measure of regret. for some, it can involve a sober reassessment of the opportunity costs involved -- sometimes these costs only unfold/show themselves along the way -- in which one simply can no longer justify (to oneself) continuing on one's current path.