This comes from someone who threw away a decade of my life because I didn't want to play the academia game - there's a sweet middle spot, play the game as long as: 1. It's fun at least on some days 2. You don't win at the expense of someone else's undeserved loss 3. You can actually switch off from it

You have to play the game no matter where you are, even foraging in the forest. There's no concept of living life without rules, so might as well embrace the reality and keep it under your control instead of the other way around.