I think before someone think and question himself about this career like david, you should think hard before you even want to start in this industry.
The moment you decide to be a pilot, you will have to expect : -
1) your job is routine and repetitive
2) Your promotion, pay check, your life and roster is being decide by management
3) your annual leave, where you base, what aircraft you fly and many more is being decide by other people and your job is to only take instruction from people forever so long you are in this career ( maybe till 65 )
The above you can see in other middle east and hkg threads, where they fly for the biggest airline and yet cry like a baby asking where is my payrise? inflation ? work overtime and force to fly more hours bla bla bla
Point is, before you get yourself into a position like david, it depend on how smart and how ambitious are you?
Everyone knows that it's good to work smart and not hard.
That is why the airline executive and management is making tons of money.
Sure, if the airline were to be bankrupt, their Swiss bank is already stashed with cash or if there are any accident like MH 370 and air france, insurance pay and compensate. After all, a pilot life is worth a cheap 60 months salary. ( basic pay )
If you are a smart person, you are being driven and served and not the other way round.
Think tim clark of Emirates, richard brandson of virgin or tony of air asia.
If you love to fly, you can always be like john travolta and may others, who buy their own jet and fly anytime they like.
So it depends on whether you want to lead a life taking instructions forever and in some cases spoil your health too and pay back medical in the future.
Trust me, waking up at 3am for a 6 am flight or doing red eyes flight 3 times in a row is not fun and damaging to our health. Not to mention the 30 min turnaround time and the occasional 6 sectors per day. It's like working so hard but making someone else rich.
Everyone is born the same with 2 hands, 2 legs and 2 eyes.
It's the choice you make and the above is the ugly truth.