the things I am talking about, are important to pretty much everyone.
It could literally be a matter of life and death, but unless it's affecting them personally, people exclusively care about what they're interested in and actively resist anything and everything else XD
and now they are not friends with him, because they missed their opportunity
Which is 100% their fault but given that I have literally watched mental gymnastics happening for people to be able to hold themselves completely innocent of everything that's going wrong with their lives and somehow having it be entirely everyone else's fault, this doesn't surprise me.
we have been so convinced and encouraged not to talk about money
Just out of curiousity what was the reasoning given for you? I remember being told some combination of "it's just rude" to "people who turn out to have more are bragging" and "people who have less will feel bad/inferior" as the reasons why it's considered rude/taboo and I guess it makes sense when "saving face" is more important than anything else could ever hope to be but logically is idiotic.
If it doesn't fall into their lap, if it isn't handed to them on silver platter, they'd rather not hear.
Oh of course, this too. Ain't nobody got time for that XD
Some friends just bought a summer place that requires renovation. It is a bit of a risk for them, but they have the money, yet are stressing a little of how they are going to handle it. They are tech people - but not interested in learning about how this connects to their daily lives.
Doesn't surprise me either. There are still smokers in the world who demand treatment when they get lung cancer. Educated people.
The reason is more indifference and choosing to ignore. I am not rude about it, I don't really talk about the potential of the gains, but of course mention that it is possible. These people have seen (and played an active role) in the development of internet-based products - yet don't want to be part of the next stage of evolution? They aren't that old!
I remember reading a book about Ned Kelly to eldest some years back when he was still young enough to like bedtime stories, and there was a line wherein one of the "characters" (historical figures) said something along the lines of feeling sorry for subsequent generations having nothing left to discover because the telegraph was the pinnacle of humankind's inventiveness and there could be nothing greater or something to that effect.
Maybe they're suffering a little bit of that.