@FailForward I understand where you are coming from and I agree to an extent.

While I think it is hard to know yourself well enough to decide whether the PhD is right for you I think by asking yourself specific questions it can help provide some clarity.

While it probably won't be enough to dissuade someone who is hellbent on doing a PhD it may temper some of the unrealistic expectations PhD applicants have going into a PhD.

Ultimately the delta between what was expected of the PhD and the reality of it is a big contributor to the misery PhD students feel. If we can help make that delta smaller it might go a long way towards helping some PhD students.