That's a way of looking at it. Another way is looking at it inwardly, as a journey of self. Personally, a PhD for me was being punched in the face every morning

That's a way of looking at it. Another way is looking at it inwardly, as a journey of self. Personally, a PhD for me was being punched in the face every morning (i.e., experiment failed) for years, yet getting up to try again. It's the archetypal hero's journey where you dive into the deepest darkness, discover yourself, and emerge triumphant. At the end, you get a hat.