In hindsight, what we don't know is if the people who grinded 50 hours a week would have ended up in a stable situation later in life where they felt confident enough and had the means to take things at their own pace.
Regardless, everything has a cost. If you are in a place where you can spend time at your leisure then that is something to be admired. You likely paid the cost for that (by grinding 50 hours a week) up front.
For the younger crowd here, perhaps they should grind 50 hours a week so they too can build their "fortress of solitude".
But if they can do it at half the cost, that would be ideal wouldnt it?