Not a sheep, you wrote:
“Veltz Meshugener” – please agree that the following type of attitude, a lack of respect of Yiddiskeit, is the predominent cause of OTD-“going off the derech”:
“Probably the biggest benefit to reading is expanding your horizons and encountering new ways to think of things”.
Jewish “horizons” are “state of the art” there is none better.
The goyim have some chochma, mostly technology and similar, but the seven pillars of wisdom are still Torah which INCLUDES all wisdom including that of the goyim.
The misguided attitude of investing customs and behaviours from the goyim with importance leads to a perception in the OTD person that he or she is climbing a ladder, when in fact they are descending the ladder and at a very rapid rate, has v shalom.