Ellyse on Nostr: If Terence Tao can get rejected, then anyone can. Rejection is part of human life and ...

If Terence Tao can get rejected, then anyone can. Rejection is part of human life and I agree that social networks can paint an unrealistic picture of constant success, but reality is that even the best of us face rejection. I love how Terence calls it "routine"; this is a good way to look at it. It's not emotional, it just happens and, in a way, it has to happen. I'll try to remember to share more of more failures, of which there are plenty! xD

RE: https://mathstodon.xyz/users/tao/statuses/113721192051328193

quoting nevent1q…6wf6

One of my papers got declined today by the journal I submitted it to, with a polite letter saying that while they found the paper interesting, it was not a good fit for the journal. In truth, I largely agreed with their conclusions, and the paper is now submitted to a different (and hopefully more appropriate journal).

Rejection is actually a relatively common occurrence for me, happening once or twice a year on average. I occasionally mention this fact to my students and colleagues, who are sometimes surprised that my rejection rate is far from zero. I have belatedly realized our profession is far more willing to announce successful accomplishments (such as having a paper accepted, or a result proved) than unsuccessful ones (such as a paper rejected, or a proof attempt not working), except when the failures are somehow controversial. Because of this, a perception can be created that all of one's peers are achieving either success or controversy, with one's own personal career being the only known examples of "mundane" failure. I speculate that this may be a contributor to the "impostor syndrome" that is prevalent in this field (though, again, not widely reported, due to the aforementioned bias). So I decided to report this (rather routine) rejection as a token gesture towards more accurate disclosure. (1/2)