DaasYochid,
It is functionaly meaningless (or worse) if used to justify life choices, and especially if to be haughty.
It is not functionally meaningless if the values and prioritization of values are used to make life choices.
In your response to me, you’re discussing the value of an act versus the OP, who is talking about the value of a person. In my mind these are two very different things. We can definitely rank and compare actions and lifestyles, but not people, unless perhaps one is a navi.
Avi K says everyone needs to do their job. Okay, but what if someone has the ability to do either? Should he choose to spend most of his day learning Torah or computer programming?
Learning Torah.