I've heard this before, and each time I'm consistently confused. I am an engineering PhD student. I receive very modest compensation for my "work", but take g

I've heard this before, and each time I'm consistently confused. I am an engineering PhD student. I receive very modest compensation for my "work", but take great pleasure in the meandering pursuit of knowledge at this stage in life. True, by some metrics it is not the best "return on investment": grad student salaries are meager at best; you forego 4-6 years of earnings potential / job experience; and some post-graduate opportunities are just not commensurate with one's level of training. However, the whole analysis depends on a specific set of values; grad school is just another form of "real life" and there is plenty to learn: the focus required to fixate on a single dissertation topic for many years, navigating nebulous political relationships, establishing life-long friendships, developing highly-targeted skill sets, and interacting with some of the smartest people on the planet. A pretty good gig by my standards. There is no single mold... To each his own.