A hard truth — although you shouldn’t have to put your research before your well-being, there are many people who are willing to make unhealthy sacrifices to be successful.

This isn’t to say you should work harder or give up.

It’s just what it is.

#academicchatter

Successful here means making significant contributions to a field that lead to a faculty position.

If this isn’t your goal, then this thread doesn’t apply to you.

I have benefited greatly from academic twitter’s support, especially regarding mental health.

I think we do a great job of normalizes that we’re only human, and we have limitations that are reasonable and acceptable.

But we cannot give younger academics the impression that “being gentle with yourself” doesn’t come with consequences, even if those consequences are unfair.

I understand that this narrative fights to outweigh the polar opposite that trainees may be exposed to outside of academic twitter, in their real-life situations.

But if we don’t pull them into the gray area to find a balance between self-preservation and sacrifice, we put them at a great disadvantage in the competition against those who are willing to buy into the extreme, research-first mentality.

I’ve had mentors throughout my career who held the extreme position.

Looking back, I see that it hurt me, but I can also recognize areas or instances where they were actually correct.

It isn’t always good/bad, mean/kind.

Sometimes it’s just necessary.

So we must acknowledge and bring light to the fact that things in academia are unfair, and sacrifices exist that are both difficult and necessary.

This is not to justify the state of things, but to properly prepare striving academics in their pursuit of success.