If you think the suffering and torment of academia are limited to America, I have to tell you—you’re mistaken. In other countries, it’s worse. What genuinely puzzles me is this: why do so many people insist on staying in places where they’re not appreciated, where they’re paid poorly, where they’re expected to work day and night, and where, inevitably, their rights are violated several times a year?

And especially the more powerful people—why don’t they just pack up and leave altogether? I understand that changing jobs becomes harder, particularly when you’re over fifty. But there are options. You can leave. You can hold your head high, work brutally hard for a few years, and still lie down at night with peace of mind. Without anxiety. Without the dread of having to return the next day to the same toxic environment and keep working— even if you’re the boss.

Why do people like torturing themselves? Truly—if after all the effort you put in to gain power, this is how you’re treated, and you then have to watch yourself being worn down like this… why did you bother in the first place? And why did you stay?