In Greek mythology Gaia was the Goddess of the Earth and the mother of all creation.
Imagine someone born on top of a mountain (let’s call these types “Bureaucrats”), unable to get down (possibly because they need to keep paying for the mortgage they can’t really afford or the car they shouldn’t have leased).
Their view from the top will be warped. They can only look into the distance and contemplate abstract thoughts.
The ironic thing is that even if they wanted to, they wouldn’t be able to closely examine the very thing they’re stood (or sat) on top of.
The only way to closely examine reality is to hike the mountain itself. You may fall and get bruised, but your bruises and pain will guide your learning.
You cannot attain real knowledge without contact to the ground
The Greeks called it pathemata mathemata. Or, “things suffered, things learned”. Something mothers of young children know all too well.
Keeb's Blog 