Let us ponder three important truths:

If we compile these three facts, what we get is a group of people who are, by their nature, active and ambitious, who are concerned about the world, and who may feel that their role as students is preventing them from influencing it. Of course, many graduate students do not feel that way, but if you do, this can cause a lot of suffering, dissipation of momentum, and doubt in the form: “How can I keep exploring obscure phenomena when real people are suffering in real time?”

Here is an alternative way of thinking about your time in grad school and your responsibility toward the world.

Many people mistakenly think that when bad things happen, the right questions to ask are whether you care about the people being affected and whether there is something that can be done. If the answer to both questions is “yes,” then many people arrive at the conclusion that they are remiss if they are not doing anything. However, there is a third question that people forget to ask, but it is no less important. That question is: “Do I possess a special skill, knowledge, or capabilities that make me the right person to be doing that thing right now?”

If the answer to this third question is also........

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