seanner, I don't think anyone is implying that a PhD in anything is easy.
Joely, "Piled Higher and Deeper" is quote of the week for me. Very fitting. Thanks for that. It's true, to proceed onward in a direction you don't love makes absolutely no sense. It's like what Steve said about finding your passion. This all reminds me of this post:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/200...t-work-at-all/