I agree with you 100% that "side projects as an antidote for burning out on your primary job" is a dangerous place to be, and I've been there several times in m

I agree with you 100% that "side projects as an antidote for burning out on your primary job" is a dangerous place to be, and I've been there several times in my career with deleterious effects. I agree with your recommendation to take that as a warning flag and instead change your job, that is the right call in that situation. On the other hand, I do find a lot of enjoyment in fields that, today, are dominated by "winner takes all" dynamics and extremely low probabilities of (financial) success (e.g. most creative fields). I don't mind diversifying my time between a primary job that, while not burnout-land, is also a bit boring and reliable, and a secondary that, while incredibly unlikely to "strike gold", is rejuvenating of my creative energies. I do have to be careful that it does not drift into the maladaption that you note though.