We know a wealthy couple in Dallas who have really struggled with teaching their children servant-hood. For one thing, the kids have had almost whatever they've wanted for years. They've become so accustomed to others meeting their needs that the idea of "serving" sounded like something from the Middle Ages... or Mars.
[Javits Wild] When he was in the country, he always asked the people he chanced to meet what "normal life" was like, because he had forgotten. The answers varied, and he gradually came to realize that, even when he was surrounded by other people, he was absolutely alone in the world. He decided to draw up a list of what constituted normal attitudes and behavior, based on what people did rather than on what they said.
Normal is anything that makes us forget who we are and what we want; that way we can work in order to produce, reproduce, and earn money.
Setting out rules for waging war (the Geneva Convention).
Spending years studying at university only to find at the end of it all that you're unemployable.
This doesn't mean that you shouldn't learn more about the world. It's rewarding to explore and discover the fascinating aspects of life. By all means, keep looking to improve your understanding of many things around you. It's best to let some of the more profound things remain mysterious, however.
101 Really Important Things You Already Know, But Keep Forgetting: How to Make Your Life More Enjoyable Day-by-Day, Year-by-Year by Ernie Zelinski
