>"yes, working in relative isolation, for years, with little pay, on a topic most people don't care about, sign me up!" The question is whether the person maki

>"yes, working in relative isolation, for years, with little pay, on a topic most people don't care about, sign me up!" The question is whether the person making that decision feels forced into that decision because of the circumstances in their life. I think a lot of people who have issues during their PhD are there because they are under immense pressure -- from their parents, peers, or wallets -- and the life of a grad student can only compound that stress rather than alleviate it by providing some measure of satisfaction.