Sorry just re-read my initial comment and it was directed at you in the sense that I was saying we had different upbringings and that might have affected our different life choices (or not really). It was not intended to be a critique of you and what you're doing and what you expect from what you're doing though (I'm sorry if it seemed like it was). It was really meant to be a more general comment about people pursuing studies for intellectual interest rather than pragmatism. And I don't know that the path I went down was better, as it led me to a job that I'm not sure I'm all that suited to. Well I led myself to it, but my studies certainly helped me there!

I try to be grateful to have a job that a lot of people consider to be pretty great (in terms of benefits, salary, some people think there's some prestige to it) but I do think about what if I'd taken another choice, one that maybe led to more passion but less job prospects.