The most ambitious want to be "world class good at it" . Hence nothing gets ever started because it seems like an unsurmountable mountain to climb.
But there is a silver lining. The possibility of exploring social relationships.
With regards to social relationships it doesn't really matter if you are having a party in Beverly Hills or in Des Moines.
It's exactly the same thing.
I've actually observed the opposite. For a non-insignificant number of people, it seems like their university degree is seen primarily as a piece of paper that allows them to demand a high wage while actively avoiding mental or physical exertion.
The only problem if there is one IMO is that everyone is so encouraged/socially pressured into university, that even in the absence of any intellectual curiosity or merit in a particular field they must go. So of course certain programmes or universities get saddled with poor 'retail management' (or worse!) metrics.
There is a stigma against not pursuing undergraduate study (ever increasingly far down the socio-economic ladder) and also against having working to lower-middle class jobs with a degree! We can't have it both ways! If so many people should be post-nominally lettered, then naturally so many jobs should be staffed by graduates.
I’d argue that the piece of paper is more for a semi-secure livable wage than a high wage, with or without physical exertion. From my anecdotal subgroup, I’ve yet to meet a person who expects (let alone: hopes for) high wages (above $25/hr) as a result of their degree.
Not everyone likes taking risks and dealing with failures (and there will always be some - even if it us just on the way to success).