...I don't envy anyone since I haven't actually made any decision. That's like dividing by zero. All the MFA people are old and I'm not old. In fact, my not wanting to wait until I'm old is exactly the question. None of my favorite writers have MFAs either, but then, it didn't exist, so again, dividing by zero.

Also, the fact that this site is full of pretender is exactly why your platitudes are meaningless. Of course my satisfaction is largely determined by the evaluation of other people. If you're not autistic or psychotic, you kind of want other people. It's just not determined by the evaluation of any people in particular. That's like saying daydreaming about the Martian soil is sufficient so why bother going to astronaut school? It's, to be blunt, the dumbest argument in all the world.