> What about a decent stable life where you are not struggling, and actually can start a family before turning, say, 35? I suspect you are an American who does

> What about a decent stable life where you are not struggling, and actually can start a family before turning, say, 35? I suspect you are an American who doesn't know much about the outside world. Here in the UK, for example, you can finish a PhD in three years (so you could be around 25!). > And PhD isn't really a place for satiating your unfettered, unhinged curiosity. Try stopping me! Seriously. > You have to do research along your advisor's line of inquiry, look at funding prospects, churn out papers at a cutthroat pace, and then deal with politics. This is simply not true in general. Perhaps it's true in the more woolly, fashion and politics-driven disciplines. > If you want a FAANG job, you can get that without a PhD. I mean, no shit... > at 33. Again — I don't know where this idea that a PhD takes '5-10 years' comes from. It's nonsense.