The Hidden Cost of Being a Smart Person in a PhD Program

R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness · May 23, 2026 · 12m

I found my old scholarships this weekend.

And I felt like I failed them.

Not because I did badly.

But because I didn’t live up to the story I thought they promised.

I’ve always been the type to work.

Apply for things others don’t.

Say yes to opportunity.

First in my family to go to university.

Given chances my family never had.

So when I opened that folder…

I felt grateful.

Then strangely sad.

Because even as a professor now, I still feel like I’m doing the wrong thing.

Not living up to my potential.

Not doing what the market rewards.

Not quite fitting anywhere.

In academia, we talk about…