Sure, but the harsh reality of life often gets in the way of your lifestyle choice. I've known several post-docs that have a wife and kids...and zero in saving

Sure, but the harsh reality of life often gets in the way of your lifestyle choice. I've known several post-docs that have a wife and kids...and zero in savings because they only make $40k a year. Not everyone can afford to continue "doing what they love" when they have a family to provide for. A lot of these people leave academic research to take up industry jobs where they reformulate cholesterol medication or research new ways to cure allergies. I personally got out of biology because I enjoy software engineering just as much, but one compensates so much more in terms of pay. If I was making an equal salary in biology, there would be a good chance I would still be there trying to solve the world's problems. So I suppose that's my point. Not everyone has the willpower, option or incentive to stay in a field they would otherwise enjoy working in, simply because of the timescale involved and the meager financial pay.