I think you hit the mush. As you I see few talented young people, that thanks to today's web and computing acquire knowledge at a really high rate and are really willing and hungry to learn. But they are fewer and fewer. Also they tend to be skilled in a thing but totally unable to being "generically skilled", I mean: you are a damn smart guys, you discovered in substantial autonomy, without help or friendly environment around GNU/Linux and in few years you are proficient enough to surpass many "professional technician" and you can't even tie your shoes?! I know that we can't be omniscient, we have preference, we focus on something etc, that's ok. But I do not talk about being skilled in anything, only being able to be "smart" in your entire daily life...
I fear this future because while takes less to be on top we do not live to race, with live to live. We are not autonomous, we need society, other expertise and work and that's pose a super-big problem even egoistically for us. Not even counting for our society at a whole and for future generations...
Maybe the only thing we can be grateful about is that it takes less to be on top(+)?
+: Of course, I know I'm certainly not on top, especially looking at some of the really impressive Show HNs that I see quite often, but compared to the people who I work with and the people around me in real life it doesn't take as much as you would think to be the best among them.