You think that researchers lack passion and cannot push frontiers?? Research and passion are not dichotomous, they are (or at least should be) synonymous.

(I am genuinely sorry for whatever bad experience that's led to this bitterness, though.)

I think that graduate schools do not filter on passion and ability. They filter on people that can play the game, where such things can be a liability.

Edit: “research” in academia now revolves around grant writing and publishing. That is an anti-filter for individuals that do not want to play that game and would rather spend that time doing actual research.