Although sounding a little bit cynical, there is unfortunately some truth in it: if thinking was important then the smartest people could be found on the highest positions. Clearly that is not the case (with a few exceptions). So we can only conclude that thinking is not of great value and smart people are not really wanted (unless they make cool, nice, shiny toys). It's just a simple observation; the world around us is not based on the smartest solutions.

A documentary I saw about the human brain gave an explanation for this: the brain always looks for the easiest solution because it wants to preserver as much energy as possible (it has already enough to do in the modern world). It is just natural that energy follows the path of the least resistance.

And that is the reason we don't have Plato's State :)

You make some good points, though I was thinking of something different.

Half of the world is just struggling to get by: job, food / water, security, etc.

Most of the other half doesn't need much thinking either; just try follow a generic life script: go to school, get a job, get married, have kids, die.

right, that makes sense....

Well thinking, allows people to see things under a different light. Under different light you look at state and say - What a piece of shit!

Tell me who is gonna call out governments on the stupid shit they do? The stupid? No, they are too busy drooling. It's the thinkers. They are always troublesome. The less of them, the better /devil advocate.

well, you don't need any creative thinking. you can easily scrape by life doing what you see other people doing without questioning it.