Some of us are not.
Some of us are just lazy, some of us read detective novels without trying to guess who did it. Some of us get by on occasional jolts of coffee and manager-induced adrenaline. Some of us just tag along and wonder when someone is going to explain the explanation. Some of us read popular science, not to understand, but because it entertains us. Pretty pictures. Interesting ideas. Chaos theory = awesome, but it doesn't stop us, the bewildered, from completely forgetting/failing to understand what all of it means.
Some of us go out there and find explanations. Some of us are Einstein, most of us are not. I don't say "Einstein" as a placeholder for "incomprehensible genius". No, I actually mean Einstein, because he is the scientist everyone wants to be, and everybody has this idea that it should be simple. Hence the multitude of crackpot ideas*. Those are all people trying hard to lead, but without taking the intermediate steps.
Anyway, my labyrinthine point is that we do not all strive the rule, or to understand in depth. Well, I guess it would be nice to understand, but mostly if someone else does the work.
So here's two questions on behalf of the muddled and non-desiring-of-leadership:
Question A: Given that some of us are not inclined to extensive research, how do we keep from being ignorant and foolish? How do we figure out which popular science book to read? What do we base our beliefs on? Who can tell us what it all means? How do followers keep from following the idiotic or obscene? Who do we trust?
Question B: Given that some of us are not leaders, and that that is the societal norm for success, how is it that we have careers, often successful ones? What is the professional goal if not management of something or someone? What with the ambition of the unambitious? How can they best use their skills?
*And just in case you though I came up with idea, I didn't, I actually stole it from A Little Knowledge, one of This American Life's better shows (which says something)