[mcguire]

This is all completely true.

"Then, just when you've gotten the hang of this finding answers game you discover that the real expectation is to be the one who formulates good questions."

And that is where I personally failed.

On the other hand, there's that funny moment...

One of the things I've heard repeatedly from pilots is that first solo flight changes everything. Before that, you're just some human. Afterwards, you are some human who can fly. Everything is somehow different, although I've never seen anyone really successfully describe how. I suspect it's different for everyone. But then I'm not a pilot.

In your dissertation defense, someone whose knowledge and intelligence you respect immensely will ask a difficult question. When you answer that question confidently and to their satisfaction, the world is a different place. For one thing, you're no longer student and teacher; you are peers. But that's not all it is.