You show me anything that depicts institutional progress in America: school test scores, crime stats, arrest reports, anything that a politician can run on, anything that someone can get a promotion on. And as soon as you invent that statistical category, fifty people in that institution will be at work trying to figure out a way to make it look as if progress is occurring when actually none is. - David Simon
At the same time, we’ve seen that often a search without objectives leads to more interesting results. Strangely, perhaps you might have come closer to the realm of great inventory (or great architect, or great composer) if only you had imitated the aimless youth after all. The aimless youth can play the treasure hunter, liberated to survey the stepping stones and choose the most interesting.
Anyone whose path isn’t fixed from the start can explore stepping stones and pursue those that they find most interesting in the moment. The aimless have the opportunity to smell the roses and consume knowledge broadly.