the chareidi mesorah of prioritizing sitting and learning all day only dates to the establishment of Israel. In the centuries leading up to ww2, only the best and brightest learned all day as the social state didn’t exist. If you wanted to eat, you had to work. There was no Meficaid etc
In other words, the ideals haven’t changed, but outside circumstances have, so that now people can learn for longer, which wasn’t possible in other generations. Had it been possible, they would have done so as well.
Is that what you’re saying?