When You Stop Caring About the Research Game

R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness · Feb 10, 2026 · 11m

I used to wake up excited to do research.

I chased goals. I loved the climb.

I believed in the system.

But years of rejection change you.

You start to see the game for what it is.

If you’re at the right school, with the right team, and the right editor, you can make it work.

If not—you’re on your own.

I’ve been on my own for a long time.

The mentors I had during my PhD—brilliant, supportive, challenging—were a rare gift. I’ve never been able to recreate that environment. And I’ve tried.

Finding competent, motivated people who care more about the work than about status?

Extraordinarily…