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A lot of people here are smart enough, they just don’t agree with the premise but maybe don’t know how to express that. Being purely for the sake of improving human understanding is more akin to philosophy than chess I’d say, and that is beneficial on its own if truly sought for that purpose.

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> A lot of people here are smart enough

they're really not because clearly their sole method of engaging with this discourse is projection.

> Being purely for the sake of improving human understanding

no matter what anyone tells you, there is absolutely no working mathematician that wakes up every day and goes to work based off that desire. it's not a priesthood, it's a job.

Some people do in fact do it for improving understanding and benefiting people. You’re rather showing your own worldview. I’ve met mathematicians who hold the view that the work they do is for the good of the world. Waking up everyday for that purpose is now a change of goal posts, pure mathematics as a field is what we were discussing, not the motivation mathematicians have in their daily lives to continue working in their field; I doubt anybody today can say they have the same motivation every day to go to work other than survival.

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