"The Dumbness of the Davos Smart Set"

The annual World Economic Forum in Davos sees high-profile individuals engaging in conversations about current events, but their discussions often mirror those of the average person, lacking groundbreaking insights. Despite their technical expertise in specific fields, their opinions on imponderable subjects like public opinion and future elections are often unmoored. The democratization of information through cable news and social media has weakened the hold of elite gatherings like Davos. Additionally, even highly credentialed individuals struggle with modern life, as evidenced by concerns about social media's impact on mental health and the intolerance of opposing views in university intellectual culture. Ultimately, the real lesson of Davos is that everyone, experts and laypeople alike, is navigating a fast-moving world with only fragmentary understandings of its inscrutable future.