One reason for pretenses: IMAGE IS EVERYTHING.
"Branding matters, and that rings true for both companies and individuals. 
The way you present yourself has a profound impact on your career. And it's not just your body language or how you dress, the Internet has presented folks with countless new ways to bolster their personal brand -- or completely ruin it."
- Judith Aquino and Kim Bhasin, 9 Reasons Why Your Image Is Everything
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-your-image-is-everything-12-2011

"75% of careers are derailed for reasons related to emotional competencies, including inability to handle interpersonal problems; unsatisfactory team leadership during times of difficulty or conflict; or inability to adapt to change or elicit trust."
- The Center for Creative Leadership

"A career is a series of ups and downs, of comebacks."
- Steve Guttenberg

"Don't confuse having a career with having a life."
- Hillary Rodham Clinton

"I had never even thought I'd be an actress - I was supposed to be a lawyer. But the motivation is the same: when you act, you defend a role; you have to be convincing. It's the same career."
- Anne Parillaud

"When people choose their careers, they are sometimes blinded by money and so choose to follow the paper trail. Although money is great and can buy us all the things that will temporarily make us happy, no amount of money can buy time. Time is our most valuable asset and it is something, that while on this earth, we should spend most wisely."
- EliteDaily.com, The 10 Reasons You Should Follow Your Passion And Not The Money
http://elitedaily.com/life/motivation/the-10-reasons-you-should-follow-your-passion-and-not-the-money/

"Career decisions are never easy.... When making such an important decision it is critical to carefully consider your options, and think about whether an opportunity is right for you, your career goals, and your personal priorities."
- Marillyn Hewson, 3 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Accept Your Next Job,
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-questions-ask-yourself-before-you-accept-your-next-job-hewson