I hear you (actually not from my perpective, just other people I know). It may sound really superficial but it sounds like a platonist vs aristotelian argument. The former being people who believe abstract theories are the greater good (conventional theory) vs real world experiences. The problem with the former is that if you're afforded to believe it if you're not in survival mode.

IMO in all actuality the best course of action is somewhere in the middle.