Using chopsticks is completely human created, just like bowling. Eating is a basic thing, yes, but cavemen didn't use chopsticks or other utensils (as far as w

Using chopsticks is completely human created, just like bowling. Eating is a basic thing, yes, but cavemen didn't use chopsticks or other utensils (as far as we know), they used their bare hands and had little concept of hygiene which humans later created to try to minimize diseases. The skill ceiling for chopsticks isn't that low. Try picking up individual grains of rice with them. Skilled users can do this easily; beginners, not so much. It's far more difficult than using your fingers to grab things and shove them into your mouth, which is something any toddler can do. As for "gatekeeping", I find that one difficult to believe, since it's absolutely the norm for everyone, regardless of class, in Asian nations (namely CJK plus a few others) to use chopsticks for eating. Whereas in western nations, only certain upper-class (or aspiring) people really give a shit about which forks to use. In most Asian restaurants (in Asia), you'll have a really hard time eating if you can't use chopsticks, because it's assumed that everyone can and they don't usually provide western utensils unless it's a western-food restaurant.