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Paul left because the work had quietly stopped fitting who he was, not because of a single dramatic event. Early on he chased prestige and big salaries, optimizing for impressive internships and the markers of success [00:59–02:18]. By around thirty-two the job had drained his energy and passion, and quitting was mostly about escaping that misalignment and getting himself back [04:37–06:04]. When he ran a self-assessment, he realized he'd drifted from the goals he set in grad school, to avoid becoming money-obsessed and to keep his sense of humor, which made clear how far off course he'd gone [06:05–07:55]. The decision was less “follow your dream” and more “stop betraying your own values.”