Yes, my argument here is that it all ultimately *does* boil down to capitalism -- class society.
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Agreed.
In grandpa's case, his point was that, regardless of your dodgy chances within the system, you had to stay healthy for your own sake and the sake of your loved ones. Or, as he put it, "you have responsibilities and you have enemies; how are you going to deal with them if you're screwed in the head or behind bars getting pooched?" This POV - a mantra of discipline's value independent of career opportunities (or their lack) was repeated by dad, mom, grandma, church elders, etc.
So you're right, even if we had a vast pool of on-point people, under current super-structural conditions, there surely wouldn't be enough jobs to absorb them (no, not even if many of them started their own businesses and hired their fellow bright-eyes). Without opportunities for useful work, a useful life, things fall apart. Poverty is a mofo; the stresses are often intangible but very intense (as we both know from experience). It's a wonder more people aren't batshit.
Realizing this (and quite explicitly, I have to say) my family stressed discipline - but not strictness in the way people often think - to perhaps an unusually self-aware degree.
It's no accident that ancient teevee re-runs featuring Spock (wikipedia.org/wiki/Spock) were a childhood favorite. "If only I could be that mentally bad-ass", I thought.
.d.