As far as the post above, I particularly resonate with the idea of knowing thyself deeply before taking aim at something. It’s certainly easier to conceive than to perform. We are unable or unwilling to position ourselves in an organic state amidst the throes of modern-day pressures and expectations. I long to unpack the layers I’ve accumulated over time to find a being inside who can see objectively and clearly into my own soul. I try though. And with each passing year, I find that my true self, this organic nature, grows stronger, not weaker, and attempts to break through the prison I have put him in. I hope to feed this nature until it can find a way to create a crack in the code, the code I have built, and emerge raw and renewed like an enlightened caveman.

That said, there’s nothing inherently bad about being an Intellectual as it is defined by Sowell. He just uses that definition to distinguish between people one might consider to be intellectuals – brainiacs and fans of philosophy, etc. – and the people he is talking about. From there, he draws some generalizations about them and their role in society. It is, however, very significant that their livelihood comes from putting forward ideas, and that there is never any accountability for the validity of those ideas.

In my business, I put forward ideas all the time. And when they’re bad, I pay for it. That’s pretty much the case everywhere but in academia. That’s Sowell’s big point – with no accountability, people are free to say whatever gets them the most attention and notoriety. And there’s the heart of the problem.

Glad you found my stuff. It’s a little dated, but I think everything is still relevant.

Doesn’t this also define you and your enlightened caveman work to a T? You have an idea, a theory about society and what would be better for the masses, and that you know better than most people, and then proceed to make money from that theory.

I’m new to your work (as of this afternoon) and have a totally open mind on it so far, neither for nor against, so I’m asking to find out if you’re postulating an “us and them” situation re intellectuals, not trying to cause contention or anything.