You can tell other people all the alibis you want. I don't mind. But to yourself try to be honest.
What are the important problems of your field?
Newton said, "If I have seen further than others, it is because I've stood on the shoulders of giants." These days we stand on each other's feet!
The real problem is what can man and machine do together and not in competition.
Computer scientists stand on each other's feet.
Mathematics is an interesting intellectual sport but it should not be allowed to stand in the way of obtaining sensible information about physical processes.