Hi, this is my first time to use this forum for help. I will be grateful if received any advice. I am in Japan and it will be the second year (2/3) of my PhD course from April. The requirement for graduation in my graduate school is 2 journal papers and I have already published one during my master course. However, I am 29 years old now due to working in the industry for 3 years after graduation from college. That is to say, I would be 31 if I spend a full 3-year to get a PhD, which is quite late for students in Asia (normally at 28 years old). The only way to make up for this is to publish 3 papers instead of 2, so I can have a reduction of 1 year. In December last year, I submitted my 2nd paper, so it seems on the track because I have 9 months this year for my 3rd paper. However, the other day I have received a major revision request from the journal editor, which referred to a previous work that has similar effects with my work (although the two are different). My paper can be published only if I can show a performance advantage over the previous work. This collision accident keeps undermining my confidence now. I doubt if I have any talent in doing research (computer science). If I am not smarter than others, how can I find something new that others cannot, especially given the huge number of competitor researchers in this field? As a normal person, can I survive in academia, or should I find somewhere involves fewer competitions? Thanks.

I think it sounds like a confidence thing. You might need to decide if you are willing to keep trying in the face of obstacles and setbacks, if it means that you will eventually reach your goal. It might help for you to talk to a few people in your field and get their opinion about the attainability of your goal. You say yourself that your confidence is being undermined. So it could be that you're just feeling discouraged and need to plod on and get round this corner so as to speak. Academia definitely has normal people in it :)) Have you heard of imposter syndrome? It sounds like you could have some of this creeping in!

Hi. What do you plan to do from 31y to 65y (average age of retirement). Do you think that it matters to have (65-28)= 37 years professional life span instead of 34 years life span in your case?
If you think too much about other peers, this does not help much. Most people in academia are normal. People with average intelligence who work efficiently achieve PhDs every year. Concentrate on yourself. You have already accomplished half the mission. Why panicking now? I agree with TQ about imposter syndrome. Just go ahead and trust your ability.
There are people who love competition and people who are demotivated by "too much competition". I am one of the later and you seem so. Academia might not the best environment for such person.