Well, I think it's the 'love of wisdom' angle that I saw in my friend's frustration and the article author's distinction between problem understanding and probl

Well, I think it's the 'love of wisdom' angle that I saw in my friend's frustration and the article author's distinction between problem understanding and problem solving. I think there's a place for knowledge for knowledge's sake, akin to Hardy's belief that mathematics is worth pursuing for its own sake, not just its applications.