"..and actual worthwhile subjects" as defined by who ? Most people gain absolutely nothing learning more math and science which is why they don't bother. Most

"..and actual worthwhile subjects" as defined by who ? Most people gain absolutely nothing learning more math and science which is why they don't bother. Most people do however gain something learning about sports stats, celebrity/political gossip, etc. because they can then relate to the masses better and be social[0]. The content is also easier to assimilate, like junk food. A person needs a "why" to learn more about challenging subjects to justify the effort. For me it just became part of my identity. [0] As a side note, I recall a blind date TV show where the young successful founder of a competitor to PayPal (WePay?) was being coached by his match maker. "you need to learn more about celebrities", she said, "women like gossip.". His expression (or maybe it was mine) was one that implied he'd rather run a spike through his hand.