It seems like a recurring theme in these types of posts is that people leave high-paying jobs and that we should applaud them for "giving up" their salaries to do what makes them happy.

Not that this is a bad thing (I applaud anyone who does something difficult in the pursuit of long-term happiness), but the fact that many people enter into unfulfilling job situations because they're drawn to the high profile and/or salary probably plays a large part in why they feel unfulfilled after working there for a while.