Again, I'm not saying you're wrong. I certainly would not make the decision of the article writer even if I hated my entire field. But intelligent (though not wise) people often make foolhardy decisions. Perhaps what the writer did is more unthinkable than I'm imagining; I only have a bachelor's degree, but I've seen smart, motivated people switch directions at inopportune times. Someone I know left a well-paying job that fit his (4 year STEM) degree with an amazing work environment for... well he didn't know what for. He just didn't like engineering after all and wanted to do something else in some other field.