the intellectual approach

our urban hub is near UCT

many of the people who work here are graduates of UCT or some other university

At some point most people look for meaning in intellectual argument or in increasing knowledge.  Our ancient teacher did this too; in fact his first attempt at finding significance was just this.  "I applied my mind to study and explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens."

Today many academics are fiercely defensive of the meaninglessness of human life as a reasoned, almost proven, intellectual stance.  Our teacher's experience?  "I have increased in wisdom more than anyone else in the city before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge."  He set himself to become the top intellectual of his day, he was deeply and widely informed (knowledge) and practiced and capable in reasoned analysis and fine-tuned argument (wisdom).

What was he looking for?  "Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, ..."  He asks himself:  Can all my intellectual capacity give me a spiritual answer?  In terms of understanding the spiritual significance of humanity, is an intellectual more capable than someone who is ordinary (or possibly a bit of an idiot, or even mentally unstable)?
What was his conclusion then?  "... but I learned that this too is a chasing after the wind."  He discovers that, while his high academic achievement gives him a lot, ultimately it too has no meaning without something more.  Intellectual analysis can't give spiritual answers.

Well, since we are seeking more to life it seems that we are going to need more than just our university training or academic status.