Today I was talking to my husband about an unspoken rule of academia concerning stress and burnout. Suddenly he said, "We don't talk about the wires." I said, "Yes! That's exactly it!" Allow me to explain what he meant. 1/n

You've probably guessed by now that I love rabbits, so it should come as no surprise at all that my favorite book is Watership Down by Richard Adams, or, as a student of mine once called it, the Bunny Murder Book. 2/n

WD is most famous for spawning an animated movie adaptation in the 70s with a theme song by Art Garfunkel. Apparently kids found this movie utterly scarring. The truth is WD isn't really *for kids,* rabbits notwithstanding, though Adams originally told it to his daughters. 3/n

By now you should expect some spoilers, so if you haven't read the book or seen the movie, here they come. 4/n

WD is about a group of rabbits who decide to leave their warren bc one of them has a premonition that it will be destroyed. What ensues are lots of adventures that involve some fairly adult themes, like death, fascism, and finding lady rabbits to propagate the new warren. 5/n

During their journey, the find another warren full of rabbits who are well fed and welcoming, but seem... odd. They have this strange sadness about them, and they've discovered things like art and poetry, but forgotten how to be wild rabbits somehow. 6/n

Turns out, a nearby farmer has been feeding them- but with a catch. He sets snares all around the warren, so every so often one of them just... disappears. But the farmer keeps predators away and gives them fancy food, so they figure it's a fair trade all in all. 7/n

The rabbits only have one rule- don't talk about the wires. If someone goes missing, don't ask where they went. We all know where they went. There's this pervasive idea of dignity and resignation throughout the warren of the snares, that has replaced the instinct to survive. 8/n

So what does this have to do with academia? A lot, really. So many of us are overworked, stretched beyond our limits, and- if we don't have tenure- scared as hell about the future. Depression and anxiety run rampant. On some level, we're all aware of it. 9/n

BUT at the same time, none of us can openly admit that we're feeling these pressures. To do so would be to admit that there's a problem. And if you have a problem, the attitude is, you just aren't cut out for this. You can't hang. You don't belong. 10/n

I realize that the culture is changing (in large part because we're finally beginning to accept that there isn't a job for every PhD, and also because more women and POC and basically non-cis white straight dudes are joining academia). 11/n

But a very toxic attitude persists in grad school and throughout the academic career, that maintains that you are SUPPOSED to suffer because of your love of your field, and your choice is to either accept the suffering or leave. 12/n

Which brings us back to the warren of the snares. The heroes of WD are given a choice by their new hosts: shut up about the wires and stay, or GTFO. The rabbits who live in the warren of the snares would rather pretend the problem doesn't exist than except its horror. 13/n

We all love our work of course, but the unspoken problems of stress and burnout and constant self-deprecation are bound to wear down all but a few of us, eventually. And maybe it's easier or more comforting to just accept it, and also not talk about it. 14/n

And don't get me started on how much more extreme these pressures are on those of us from underprivileged backgrounds, first gen students, women, POC, queer folks, disabled folks, and basically anyone else who hasn't traditionally been accepted into academia. 15/n

The heroes in WD move on to greener pastures, but the task set before us is different. Our warren can be saved- it can be rebuilt from within, if we collectively acknowledge the toxicity of the academic environment and resolve not to perpetuate it. 16/n

I'm not saying there's an easy or quick fix of course. It will require a collective change in attitude, a change in how we view ourselves and our peers, how we judge a person's success, and how we acknowledge each other's accomplishments. Academia needs to change. 17/n

I don't have any detailed answers, but I know this: if we accept the wires and pretend they don't exist, more and more of us will disappear, voluntarily or otherwise. Brilliant and talented people will be lost, and academia will eventually crumble. 18/n

All in all, WD is a dark book, but I love it partly because it teaches us that a better world can be built, and that safety and contentment often lie on the other side of hardship and fear. And that's the best I can offer as an end to this thread. 19/n

P.S. I can't talk about bunnies without showing off mine, so allow me to present Bunedict Carrotpatch, and Sasha LaBun, my two bundles of fluff and sass. They have been absolutely invaluable emotional support buns and I love them to pieces.