Its easier than you think to autopilot and limp along in life, even if its a slog. See: third worlders who continue working in sweat shops, fields and other disgusting conditions all their lives.
I myself remained at a shit job for years, even though I came to resent coming to work because I had become so accustomed to it. Personally I believe I was able to deal with being an oldcel due to never ascending in the first place. Hence, I never missed something I didn't get to experience. Many normies commit suicide after their wives divorce them - they are so used to the expectation of validation and sex that they never learned to function without. They're heavily co-dependent, like druggies suddenly having to go cold turkey. Us wizards on the other hand, have lived in Mordor since the very beginning. It has always been a struggle.