6/20 Indeed, there is cult of performative overwork which I've encountered a lot over the years. What makes academic identity complex is that it's not just about fulfilling job responsibilities. For most of us there a deeper, existential commitment to the idea of learning and curiosity.

7/20 The cliché kind of "life of the mind" is possibly somewhat old fashioned now. But certainly when I started the university as an environment that supported the ideals of learning and knowledge for their own sake, was what I found so appealing.