I think the mental grind of being a programmer can be exhausting. Especially if you work in 95% of work environments/companies. Either you're working with people who aren't passionate, or you're working on boring software. The fact it's very much a sedentary activity doesn't help too, as it saps our energy.
After doing it for awhile, you can't help but ask "What's the point of all this? Who cares? Who cares if we're producing wealth? I rather downsize, live in a cave and go back to the simple life! This mental grind for that fancy car and a new flat screen TV isn't worth it!"