Profound shallowness

I had this theory that you can't be truly intelligent and not be crippled (or at the very least affected) by introspection.

The thought process is cyclical. You go into extreme existentialism then jump back into the pool of meaninglessness and transience. Then back again. Like a pendulum.

Some people spend more time on one end of the spectrum; S. and I are introspection addicts. Most people spend more time living life and on occasion mentally tinker with the abstract. But the point I'm driving home here is that you can't be moderately intelligent and not need to do mental push ups now and then. It's what smart people do.

Or so I thought.

I've met (and recently have spent a lot of time with) these two guys. Let's call them B1 and B2 (like Bananas in Pajamas). B1 and B2 have resumes that will knock the socks off headhunters. These guys came in first in their class (college, law, driving school). Got scholarships from institutions with names I can't pronounce. They have great jobs. Bright futures.

They don't think.

It's amazing. They do as much introspection as a door knob. Everything is just as it seems. They do go to work, get drunk, sleep with their wives/girlfriends. They plan vacations, they buy gigantic TV sets. They eat at expensive restaurants. Wear gaudy pricey watches.

They don't think.

How can you go beyond the first year of college and not think about the metaphysical? And I'm not talking about constantly questioning your own existence. (I think we all got over this at 17.) I'm referring to occasional (maybe even seldom and rare) moments of philosophical thought. How can you accept everything at face value all the time, look at your expensive watch and not once think about the texture of time.

Apparently, you can.

Theirs is a state of shallowness so profound, they don't even know they're in it.