Anyone up for a serious discussion about how hopeless and depressing it feels to be in academia (as compared to industry)? Why are we doing this to ourselves?

I left my highly paid IT job so that I could do grad school in linguistics. I feel like a lot of the professors are frauds. There is no respect for original thought. Coursework is rote and overwhelming. Lectures are subpar.

I presented my original research during the colloquium, and people were literally yawning. I think no one actually cares about you unless you're already some bigshot.