content: I'm a little more pessimistic about people in general, and I'm going to sound like I'm acting superior here, but I've come to believe that about 80% of the population exist to serves as drones/NPCs and that it's just part of human nature.  I think it's necessary for most people to have a group follower mentality, which can be very productive if those people are sent down the right path. But they won't truly understand that path.  They'll accept it in the same way they accept that there are four total stones in your analogy without understanding that 2 + 2 = 4.  It's a superficial understanding, but maybe it doesn't matter. Most people think and talk entirely in memes because their minds are built for group behaviour.  They want that group dynamic so bad that they'll pay to attend live sporting and music events for the group experience and the excuse a live event provides to act as a mindless member of a larger group. But, as I say, I don't think their mentality is a bad thing in and of itself.  It can be very useful, but the problem is that they look to the top of the ladder for directions.  I don't know if you'll ever truly get through to them without a position of authority.