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This situation seems familiar, but somehow different. As scientists, we are used to adversity. Stay in the field long enough and you are sure to experience funding shortfalls, rejected papers and grants, and a nagging uncertainty about whether you are working on the best problem or taking the right approach. Success requires perseverance, and we have all had ample opportunities to practice patience and perseverance in our careers. Yet this situation is different.
In the past, the solution to my difficulties lay within myself. If I lacked an idea, I could look through the literature for inspiration. If I wrote a poorly received paper, it was up to me to figure out the disconnect between me and the reviewers. I had the power to change me and that provided confidence in finding a solution. Perhaps it was difficult, but the possibility that I could find a ...
