[Nasrudith]

It may be a failure of imagination but it is far from extraordinary unfortunately. It is a rare situation which receives little training, thought, or societal institutions. For millenia following was largely the only viable defeat essentially. Even nobility who became divorced from occupying duties had the same issues with use of idle time. The "Gentleman Scientest" or successful activist/reformer or similiar people who used their time wisely were the extraordinary ones even among the already extraordinary very small pool of privledged idle rich.

I can only conclude that failure of imagination is unfortunately not only ordinary but the default.