Why buy a ThinkPad if you don't use its most important selling point?
I bought a couple of ThinkPads because they're well tested on Linux, have the best non-mechanical keyboard on a laptop that I know of (even after Lenovo), and have a decent build.
I can't stand using the TrackPoint despite having tried a few times, but my workflow relies more on a keyboard and any decent scrolling device, for which two-finger scroll on the touchpad more than suffices.
On Windows, it's buttery smooth and a joy to use. On Linux, the refresh rate tops out at 80 Hz, and if you so much as lightly touch the touchpad with your palm, it goes further down to ~45 Hz for the next few seconds. All of this makes for a very rough, jerky and imprecise movement.
I really want to use Linux on my T14, but this problem just makes the experience a pain. I really wonder if everybody recommending using TrackPoint and running Linux have somehow solved this issue?
You could try playing around with the settings in /sys/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/. The file "sensitivity" or "rate" might be what you're looking for.
(Similarly, I used a thumb trackball for a long time, and eventually my thumb started to have issues as well.)
For occasional use, these things are great. Long term under heavy use, I have my doubts. It's always better to use the bigger muscles and joints if you can.
But for couch surfing at home I haven't used a mouse in years.
The Thinkpad 760 I had only had a Trackpoint, so when I was using it as my main machine, I used it 8-ish hours a day. The last joint in my pointer finger was pretty sore by the time I stopped using it.