New posting! "Deprogramming academia", a riff on why I'm still feeling guilt about walking away from #academia, and why that might be. 👇 Hope you like it! #Alt-Ac
https://totalinternalreflectionblog.com/2025/04/17/deprogramming-academia/
@steveroyle @TIR_scienceblog as someone who's done that (minus the successful bit) I thi k it's the loss of the original dream. It's so difficult to let go of and I'm not sure everyone ever does. I wonder if the reason for leaving also imoacts that too - being pushed v a more conscious active choice.
@JACoates @steveroyle Hi both, thanks for commenting and sorry for the slow response (for some reason I don't get notifications from Mastodon). There was a very interesting comment on the blog site that I think cuts to the heart of this issue: that many people go into the public sector (which includes academia, of course) with a sense of service. They see themselves as performing a duty/service to society (I certainly did - I have always been acutely aware and proud of the societal role of academia), and to then be compelled to leave is obviously very traumatic because it implies that that service was not of value. That's a nonsense of course, but it's the kind of worry that comes at you in the night. Other reasons apply too of course, but the selflessness and its devaluation is, I suspect, an important psychological factor in the issues that I and many others (like Jonny!) continue to have.
@TIR_scienceblog I fear you are right about the scars never truly healing. When talking to people who have left - especially those who have gone on to make a huge difference (more than they probably would have in academia) - I’m struck by how they still have a sense of regret about leaving. Like you say in the post, it’s likely because academia was their original dream or maybe it’s talking to me (an academic) that brings it back. Great post.