[qrsjutsu]

Had a friend once who wanted to do research in an urgently necessary direction. Didn't get the money or academic support.

Couple years later she told me that happens a lot but one is so focused on their work and the illusion that "once I'm there ..." so strong, that one ignores the hard evidence and much debated proof, despite, well, one's own training.

[numpy-thagoras]

"Once I'm there..." captures it so well. That attitude and reasoning is the mechanism for this entire self-perpetuating pyramid scheme.