You hear this myth in a lot of forms. We run into young investment bankers and lawyers on Wall Street who say, "I would lose my job if I didn't show up before 8 each morning and stay until evening, because that's what my whole department does." Others say, "If you want to make it in the professional world, you have to compete, and it may take me away from my family for a few years, but ultimately it will give me the earning power to give my kids a good life."
The question is, "Is it worth it?" The other question is, "Is that really the way it has to be?"
And the more constructive, positive question is, "Are there ways that I can succeed in my career without sacrificing my family?"