In our newest “how can we help you?” thread, a reader writes:

I work at a decidedly non-fancy-pants institution. I recently had a paper accepted at a rather fancy-pants journal. I have been working on this paper on and off for over half a decade. The manuscript represents an incredible amount of work. The “excerpts” file for the paper alone dates back to 2016 and is well over 100 single-spaced pages. The paper has been rejected countless times, and when I look at previous drafts, the gap between what it was (bad) and what it is now (better) is huge. And while a utilitarian would probably shudder at the blood/sweat/tears to pleasure ratio involved in its construction, it is FINALLY going to be published and I am thrilled.

I would love it if we could have a thread about similar “wins” that people have had recently in the profession. It doesn’t necessarily need to involve papers and publications. What are some instances where a LOT of hard work finally paid off despite considerable adversity?

I think this is a great idea, and big congrats to the OP! I think a thread like this could be cool, not just to hear some inspiring stories, but also because it may help those currently undergoing adversity to see that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel (for my part, I really could have used some such inspiration as a struggling grad student, etc.). Anyone have any cool ‘win after adversity’ stories to tell? 

Originally appeared on The Philosophers’ Cocoon Read More