I suppose part of the issue is that a lot of people don't really know how they got where they are. You can point to this or that traumatic incident as the watershed moment that made the difference in the wrong direction, but who's to say if that's really it? Maybe it was a completely different missed (or withheld) opportunity that they've completely forgotten, or can't confront because of what it would mean about their behavior or identity or the world we live in.
A conference that could cut through that and get to some real answers would be very valuable. I would call it a "burnout conference" though. It really seems like the terminology has changed recently; people say "loser" less and "burnout" more, perhaps in light of some recognition of:
(1) the seriousness of the circumstances (it's not a game)
(2) the personal nature of everyone's journey (it's not a competition)
(3) the degree to which a lot of this stuff is out of our control
(4) the toll the rat race takes on even the most strident
A conference that could cut through that and get to some real answers would be very valuable. I would call it a "burnout conference" though. It really seems like the terminology has changed recently; people say "loser" less and "burnout" more, perhaps in light of some recognition of:
(1) the seriousness of the circumstances (it's not a game)
(2) the personal nature of everyone's journey (it's not a competition)
(3) the degree to which a lot of this stuff is out of our control
(4) the toll the rat race takes on even the most strident