I agree that one doesn’t need to know every single fact to be “educated.” I didn’t deserve my nickel on Sept. 10, 2001 because I knew Kabul was the capital of Afghanistan. However, I was glad on Sept. 11 that I knew of the Taliban regime and I also knew the crashing planes into buildings was right out of Tom Clancy’s novel, “Debt of Honor.”
You’re superior in and only in your geographic knowledge of Ireland. Does that very limited superiority somehow extend to your whole being? No. But that’s a very pleasant bit of wishful thinking. It’s a lovely fantasy world to dwell in and stroke your ego in, but you’re probably not accomplishing anything useful while you’re there.
My dad broke up with the girl he was dating before he met my mom because she asked him what “Spirit of '76” was about. He’d been getting disillusioned, and that was it. He knew he couldn’t live with that forever.