This is an important read about commitment and identity with respect to the work you do.

[koen_hufkens@mastodon.social]

This is an important read about commitment and identity with respect to the work you do. Although not everyone will have underlying illnesses the fallout can be as severe.

Looking back at my academic career I see many parallels in the "costs" mentioned:

- sold my twenties to institutes/labs
- traveled too much
- gave too much of myself away (for free)
- strain on mental health

Open Source Gave Me Everything Until I Had Nothing Left to Give

I thought I was having a spiritual awakening. I was having a psychiatric emergency. I was at a tech conference in Sweden when it started. I hadn't slept in days. I was one of the most prolific...

Kenneth Reitz (kennethreitz.org)

#academicchatter #academia

[michcampbell@fediscience.org]

@koen_hufkens oof, harrowing.

"I would have kept my identity separate from my projects." - great advice for past me (and probably a lot of PhD candidates). It was a tough lesson to learn that equating academic success (or lack thereof) with my identity was a bad move.

[adamsteer@mapstodon.space]

@michcampbell @koen_hufkens

...this is tough in academia. I was *great* at separating my identity from my research work, set boundaries - and that was an issue. "You are not serious enough"

I understand, and have seen, that entire essay. Its also been me, trying to find work and fuck. I'm *still* doing a paper review for zero money as in not paid in any way shape or form.

Anyway yes, work is work. Life is life. No matter how tempting, keep a boundary. Even if you love the work.

[drevangowan@fediscience.org]

@adamsteer @michcampbell @koen_hufkens I set boundaries early on, which my PHD supervisor respected and encouraged, but someone else on my committee did not. They ended up writing a comment on one of my papers! It is not necessary to be on all the time.

[koen_hufkens@mastodon.social]

@DrEvanGowan @adamsteer @michcampbell I was lucky still in many ways, because generally I had a good time. As long as the fun bit balanced the work this was alright. But looking back now, I think I could have balanced things better still at some points.

[xyhhx@social.treehouse.systems]

@koen_hufkens thanks for writing this. for the vulnerability but also for its value to others. i see some of myself in this: i have borderline personality disorder which has some parallels to bipolar disorder (though i might have to have assessment for that apparently, too). i don't have any of the success though, and my several days at a time come from desperation at one day "making it". i don't know what to do. i've spent too much of the last few years homeless, and i'm at risk of being evicted next month again. seeing others' success, makes me think i'm not trying hard enough, or that i'm just not good enough. it's reassuring in a way to know it's not always so simple. that others are struggling even if they appear successful

[koen_hufkens@mastodon.social]

@DrEvanGowan @adamsteer @michcampbell And in the later years, being senior I was a strong believer of this and indeed the responsibility of a PI to make this abundantly clear.