I think if the job market wasn't awful for job-seekers I'd be seriously thinking about dropping out of grad school, even though I love it and I'm very good at it. I think academia is kind of destroying my life, though not in the way people usually say it does. It's making me less of a well-rounded person: I mostly think about philosophy and most of my social relationships are with philosophers. I have forgotten most hobbies I've ever had. It's also alienating me from the people I love and loving relationships in general. This last bit mostly because of the geographic constraints academic life involves (one has to move every few years and it only stops once you get a stable job). My academic commitments have done a lot of work to break apart my happiest ever romantic partnership. At the same time, besides the above worry about getting a real job in 2026 (and I want a truly decent job for the sake of my sanity, as all workers deserve) I am just kind of an addict. I don't know how to leave without getting pushed out. And I'm not going to be pushed out any time soon because, again, I'm too good at it. The earliest point would be failing to get an academic job, which is very possible.
Anyway I often find myself very envious of my sister. Fully remote job making much more than I make, which is frequently low lift enough that she has a lot of time for political organizing and music. It seems like a good life. She gave up on getting a job she's passionate about and it looks way better than it sounds.
