plus death and taxes

List of the top ten things that are inevitable, so try not to take them personally, and don't let them get you down:

1) academic politics

2) some students cheating

3) someone else's incompetence affecting you

4) blowhards dominating meetings

5) some of the public failing to understand the value of your field or research

6) some of the administration failing to understand the value of your field or research

7) some negative reviews

8) pointless paperwork

9) pointless service obligations

10) some students failing

Kvetch about these things all you want (God knows I do!). By all means, take steps to prevent/protect yourself from them. But, as a general rule, if any of the above make you question the years of your life dedicated to academia, you're taking this too seriously.