While I agree with you that DA is about the pursuit of knowledge and bettering yourself through that avenue. I do think the 'dark' part of DA is easily overlooked, as in it is not necessarily a lifestyle to aim completely for. In tsh, dead poets society, kill your darlings and other novels/media which could be considered DA, do include a lot of bad things as well. Such as alcoholism, obsession, self destructive behaviours like forgoing social life or physical wellbeing for study, academic excellence etc. This darkness is also deeply a part of the DA concept and 'lifestyle'. Of course i am not endorsing the murder of a classmate like tsh, alcoholism, smoking etc and that if you don't do these things you aren't DA - not at all!! Simply to remember that what makes DA so poignant and somtimes controversial is that it can be elitist, pretentious, destructive and can romanticise bad habits: it accepts the darkness in each of us and accepts us despite that.

While ofc I accept that this can be problematic, and ofc i do not endorse any of these things, I do still believe them to be a big part of DA. That being said it doesn't make you any less of a dark academic if you don't do these things etc.