I wonder why those who advocate to leave aviation behind are themselves still flying…
Personally glad I left, but I have some friends indeed, they complain and do not quit...
I have some clues to your question as I asked them the same question :
1) it asks courage. Leaving addiction, it is hard. Those people will die unhappy, alone and without kids most of the time. (happiness is not = job)
Flying is the part of addiction, I guess we all know that.
2) they do not know what to do. When you're pilot, without a back up career, you do not know anything else good in this society. You just know to perform ILS and some stick handling. In a another company, you would be good to do photocopies only and make some calls maybe. But compared to an engineer, searchers, pilots are have low knowledges... we are responsible of an a/c but we do not conduct any project from a begining to the end. We do not really manage a team like engineers do for exemple.
3) some tell themselves "I spent huge money, I can not quit". Which is stupid...either you quit or not, the amount of money spent remain the same.
There is a technical word in Economy lesson I followed, but I do not remember. I will edit my message when I find it.
It is the same thing, when you throw away some food and some people tell you that some africans are starving blablabla...
You eat or throw away food, it is economically the same...anyway.
4) Some just stay for the money. Their plan is to buy some apartments and rent them... Flying is not a passion anymore for them, just a job that feeds you.
5) Some try to leave, they will do it as soon as they can and have the opportunity. Personnally, I had been thinking about 2 years before doing the jump. Leaving is not easy, you need to prepare some stuff (another course, saving money in case, wait the end of your contract and so on...).