This is a thought that would warrant further discussion.

I’m troubled, because I know people are not really efficient setting their own goals. That’s why a good advisor, a good mentor can bring much more out of any student. But I also know that one of the success of the academia is that people are not (usually) told what to work on but can find interesting things by themselves. Mentoring is good, but once a person is not a student anymore and still needs constant pestering along the road, then probably academia is not the right road.

I really wonder what is the solution to this puzzle. The closest I got to was probably reading Feynman’s letter to one of his former students: http://scienceblogs.com/thescian/2008/03/what_are_worthwhile_problems_f.php

I think for no. 6, part of the problem is that as academics, we don’t really have customers, or at least, compared to any other profession, we’re very far removed from them. And at least in part, we are our own customers – your work may get used by other people, but it’s also going to be used by you for further work. So I think you have to decide for yourself if the job is done. (Although I definitely have the same problem of wanting to learn but not necessarily getting anywhere – if left to my own accord, I would read endless and never write or review anything!)