I’ve been reading a book whose main characters place a significant emphasis on pursuit of knowledge. They accept scolding from physical laborers in high standing in the community for being layabouts, never contributing anything to society but sales of their books, a pleasure for simpleminded women.
And while I’m not in agreement with this attitude, I’m also not sympathetic to the attitude of the main characters, whose silent conceit in their intellectual superiority is superbly annoying.
Really, when the great sunspot/solar flare/nuclear detonation comes, and none of our fancy gadgets work, and money’s value is less than inked cotton, who will be most appreciated? Surely it will be a man who can catch his food, prepare, and protect it, not some $40 billion CEO who made all his now worthless money buying and selling things that simply no longer matter.
And yet - someone would still need to be around to inform the survivors that burning their houses to cook food is a bad idea. What a stupid balance.
