I agree that a lot of the time intellectual pursuits are misdirected ways of solving life's problems (though the worst culprit here is wealth acquisition, doubling the critique of pg here).

There is a kind of wisdom that arises through knowledge of oneself and other people that comes with age. A kind of knowledge which helps you predict what is going to be worthwhile, etc.

However we shouldnt fall into the trap of saying "academic persuits might leave you unsatisfied therefore you can be blase about them whilst discussing them". You cant dispense with the particulars of physics when discussing gravity because your interest in "the universe" owes to a unfulfilled religious need.

"age" is a different category of knowledge and doesnt excuse or justify glorified amateurism in another.

>(I'm not talking about someone with a PhD in Physics here)

But that's kind of the point isn't it? We should judge people on their qualifications and achievements, not their age.