Is it true that if you want to be successful, you have to compromise in your personal life?

It is safe to say that almost no one reading this answer is on the same level  as Einstein, Feynman, Landau, etc, so the experiences of singular scientific geniuses is largely irrelevant.  Ordinary scientists often manage to succeed both in their personal lives and their professional lives, and even extraordinary ones sometimes find that balance.

People love reading about the scandalous personal lives of famous scientists for the juicy, juicy schadenfreude.  How can these masters of the universe fail at basic tasks--like being faithful to a spouse, paying attention to one's child, and not saying racist shit--which simpletons like the rest of us manage without effort?  However, the connection between scientific success and personal failure has a strong component of confirmation bias.  There are examples of scientific geniuses, John Bardeen being one (please re-examine your priorities if you haven't heard of him), who are not known for having colorful personal lives.

For us mortals who will not earn two Nobel prizes in physics, a scientific career does require long-term focus and training, but people manage to succeed without a monastic, singular dedication.  Certain sacrifices are often made to accommodate a spouse or a child, but those same relationships motivate many scientists to work harder.  If your definition of personal fulfillment is watching tv for 12 hours a day, it is hard to achieve that in a scientific career, but if your goal is to have non-dysfunctional relationships, many scientists accomplish this.

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