Can confirm that a random corner store in Tuscany still yeilds good espresso, and I am still surprised by it. But that must be because Italians demand good espresso and everyone in Italy knows what good espresso tastes like.
Considering all the money and fuss that well heeled San Franciscans and SV people throw at coffee, the relative difference between them and ordinary people in Tuscany is pretty eyebrow raising.
If one is really a smart and self-aware person, it pays to be aware of how clueless one can still be, especially if it has to do with cultural or sub-cultural knowledge. It's the ability to see beyond groupthink which is the actual "reality distortion field." It's actually the ability to see past the existing reality distortion fields, which is the key.
Just how subject to groupthink are Bay Area folks? They are so subject to groupthink, they will spend lots of time and money for inferior product, in ignorance of cheaper, superior existing solutions.
