Do we, in academia, understand how fortunate we are? (written in the USA, Jul 2016)

In academia, it's inevitable to come across comments like PhDs who become bankers are, in one word, bad. And there they are, judged by the fortunate us who make lighthearted comments like: "I don't do academia for money" all day long.

Wait a sec. If your family member in a third-world country is diagnosed with cancer, what you can do is precisely to become a banker. And if we call them unethical, well, they have all the right to call us evil, because let's face it, we live in the luxury of doing something we like, often farfetched, while getting paid. I value increments in humanity's grand sum of knowledge, but in no way do I believe that academia is a superior career. The cancer story may be extreme, but even a regular Wall Street guy who puts money to good use is not necessarily less noble than a scientist who lives in their own little world.

One of my closest friends, now in a top institute in America, is from a small town in South Asia. He must've been incredibly talented and hardworking to make it this far? Absolutely, but without luck, he wouldn't have made it. Many of his childhood friends had to quit after their fifth year, despite having done better than him in school. "You wouldn't know what it's like to be a poor child, and I'm glad you don't," he'd said to me. It was a heartbreaking conversation.

Now, if you see Hindus around Harvard Yard, it's most likely they're Brahmins. And one of them once said to me: "It's not about wealth; it's just because education is valued by us, Brahmins." Really? How easy it is for you to say this! Despite the limited data points at hand, I conclude from experiences that education is valued across South Asia, regardless of caste or religion. And have you ever thought about how privileged you've been, being a Brahmin? You may be surprised to hear the current Dalai Lama has invited a UW Seattle professor to teach monks physics. Money, more than any other factors, is what makes the difference. And if you have it, you can make a difference.

So, reconsider before you judge people who quit academia for money -- because life beyond your fortunate circle is complicated.

And you'll realise that academia isn't the world. It's just, well, academia.