One of the excuses I used to hear from other researchers when I still worked in academia is "I have no time now". It's so sad that many people in academia have enslaved themselves, whether consciously or unconsciously, to this mental illusion. The present moment is the only time that is and has reality. No living human has ever experienced the future except in his or her mind. If they don't live the present monent, they are actually not living except in their mental solitary confinement.
I don't remember exactly when I came to this realization but I do remember that I realized this quite suddenly. But after this sudden realization that I had been trapped in this mental prison all my life in academia, I told myself to leave it as soon as possible though after the necessary preparation for the transition.
I really want to believe that working in academia doesn't and shouldn't mean a life sentence in such mental solitary confirment. But unfortunately, I don't remember meeting anyone who isn't trapped there to a greater or lesser extent. This mental enslavement seems to be engraved in the very structure of academia. I wish I were wrong. And I'm more than glad to meet researchers in academia who are fully mindful of the present moment and aren't trying to keep pursuing this constantly moving future they'll never be able to capture.
PS: A conversation between two researchers in academia:
"Why have you stopped reading books?"
"I have no time now to read books as I have to write papers."