Well thirty years later we can see that it worked out really well for him. The most rewarding things in life take time. Like building up interest on stocks. Time preferences are strongly associated with lifetime outcomes. All the best opportunities exist in identifying truths that exist outside the realm of social consensus. You can build your specialization in an environment free of competition. Waiting for the social consensus to change takes decades. Once it does you're in a good position to reap the economic benefits that follow.