Guess what - working as a professional pilot is a job. And just like any other profession, there are some great jobs out there, and some that are not so great. Some companies pay well and offer excellent lifestyles and terms and conditions - others don't. It's not a profession that will suit everyone, and that doesn't make anyone 'less of a man'.
Much will depend on who you end up working for, and your perspective (i.e. previous life and work-experience). In my (limited) experience, the very few individuals who are unhappy and moan about their lot as a pilot are the ones who have never done anything else - they have nothing to compare the job to. I have worked in a steel mill, been stuck in a portacabin dealing with lorry drivers all day, and spent 10 years in boring office jobs in London. Flying beats them all hands down.
Not that my lifestyle is anything like JB007's (lucky man). Regional lo-co, short haul, intense multi-sector days where I struggle to find time to eat or even go to the loo. 5 days on, 2 off, finish on a late, start on an early. It's not well paid for the money I have spent, but I still love it and always look forward to going to work. And as for 'watching the autopilot all day' - yeah, right. If you like excitement, try flying a Q400 on the autopilot and taking your eyes off it for 10 seconds. It'll bite you quicker than you can say; "Goodness, this thing's a bit of a handful."
The question you as wannabes have to ask yourselves is - and be brutally honest; "Do I really love flying? Do I love it enough to put up with all the hurdles and grief on the way to getting the licence, and do I love it enough to endure the downsides of the job once I make it to the right hand seat?" If the answer is yes (and if you're like me, you'll actually miss the job when you go on holiday) then a great career is possible. If you fancy flying as a career because of the money, or the kudus, or to pull the hosties, - or anything other than a passionate love of flying - then you're deluding yourself and it's really not for you.